Vital breakthrough as once-a-day pill can help people lose ‘significant’ weight

A once-a-day pill for obesity could be a cheaper and more accessible weight-loss drug, after a study found the tablet can lead to “significant” reductions in body weight.

More than 60% of adults living in the UK are obese or overweight – a crisis which is costing the NHS about £107bn a year.

But almost one in five people taking the drug Orforglipron lost 20% of their body weight after using it for a year and a half, researchers found.

Although the weight loss seen in people taking the tablet is not as stark as that among patients taking Mounjaro, experts believe the tablet will be more accessible and convenient compared with weight-loss injections.

“Because this pill is easier to use and may be less expensive, it could allow more people access to effective weight-loss medications and make obesity treatment simpler and more convenient for patients everywhere,” said Dr Stephen Lawrence, GP and associate clinical professor at the University of Warwick.

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Source: The Independent, 17 September 2025