A new pill that works like a hormone called GLP‑1 helped adults who are overweight lose as much as 12 % of their body weight after 36 weeks. The findings come from a careful study published in Nature Medicine.
A Pill Instead of an Injection
The drug, named aleniglipron, is different from current GLP‑1 medicines such as Ozempic or Wegovy. Those drugs are tiny proteins that must be injected. Aleniglipron is a small‑molecule pill you can swallow.
GLP‑1 medicines copy a natural hormone that tells the body to release insulin, feel less hungry, and stay full longer. This helps people eat less and lose weight.
Injections can be a hurdle because they need a needle, need refrigeration, and are hard to make in large amounts. A pill could be easier to store, cheaper to produce, and simpler for patients to take.
How the Study Was Done
Researchers enrolled 230 adults (average age 50) who were overweight or obese at 38 medical centers across the United States. Participants were randomly given either a placebo or one of three pill doses: 45 mg, 90 mg, or 120 mg.
Everyone took the pill once a day. The dose was increased every four weeks and the study lasted 36 weeks.
By the end of the trial, the groups that took the pill lost an average of 9 % (45 mg), 10.7 % (90 mg), and 12.1 % (120 mg) of their starting weight. The placebo group only lost about 0.5 %.
Safety and What Comes Next
Most side effects were mild stomach issues that got less common as the study went on. About 10 % of people stopped the medication, but no liver damage was seen.
The researchers say the results are promising and plan to test the pill in a larger phase‑III trial to confirm its benefits and improve tolerance.
This research was funded by Structure Therapeutics.