Diabetics given the pill called orforglipron lost 16 pounds, or 7.9% of their body weight, over a 40-week period.

Eli Lilly said clinical results of its GLP-1 in pill form showed safety and efficacy data similar to blockbuster injectable drugs.

Eli Lilly's experimental pill worked as well as blockbuster drug Ozempic to lower weight and blood sugar in a trial of diabetes patients, and the company said it expects to seek regulatory approvals by the end of the year.