Daily weight loss pill can help cut body weight by a fifth, trial shows
A daily pill for weight loss can help people reduce their body weight by as much as a fifth, according to a trial that could pave the way for millions more people to shed pounds.The drug, called orforglipron, is manufactured by Eli Lilly and targets the same GLP-1 receptors as weight loss injections such as Mounjaro and Wegovy.In a trial of 3,127 adults, one in five people who took the once-a-day tablet for 72 weeks lost 20% or more of their body weight.Weight loss jabs have been transformative but pill versions are seen as a holy grail because they are easier to store, distribute and administer and are also expected to be cheaper, offering fresh hope for the millions of people trying to lose weight.Orforglipron is a GLP-1 agonist, a type of medication that helps lower blood sugar levels, slows the digestion of food and can reduce appetite.
The weight loss seen among people taking the tablet is not as stark as that among patients taking tirzepatide (Mounjaro), which is also made by Eli Lilly, but experts believe the tablet will be more accessible and convenient compared with injections.Orforglipron is not yet approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or regulators in other countries.Eli Lilly has said it expects substantial demand when the new pill is launched.The company published a snapshot of the results in August and the full paper detailing the findings has now been published in the New England Journal of Medicine and presented to the annual meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes in Vienna, Austria.In the study, the 3,127 patients were split into groups taking orforglipron pills of different strengths, while others took a placebo, for 72 weeks.
All of the patients had obesity, meaning they had a body mass index (BMI) score of 30 or over, but they did not have diabetes.Patients from the US, China, Brazil, India, Japan, South Korea, Spain, Slovakia and Taiwan took part in the study.Researchers led by Dr Sean Wharton, of McMaster University in Canada, found that after 72 weeks people taking the lowest dose of orforglipron, 6mg daily tablets, lost an average of 7.5% of their body weight.Those taking the highest dose, 36mg, lost an average of 11.
2% of their body weight.Among patients taking the highest doses, 54.6% had a reduction of 10% or more of body weight, 36% had a reduction of 15% or more, and 18.4% had a reduction of 20% or more.Researchers said other health metrics also improved among people taking the drug, including better blood pressure, a smaller waist circumference and a reduction in bad cholesterol levels.
The most common side-effects were gastrointestinal, which were said to be mild to moderate.“In adults with obesity, 72-week treatment with orforglipron led to significantly greater reductions in body weight than placebo,” the authors wrote.“The adverse-event profile was consistent with that of other GLP-1 receptor agonists.”Wharton said: “This could mean an expansion of obesity interventions to groups who are currently excluded due to the cost of and lack of access to injectable medications.”Health leaders have hailed weight loss drugs as transformative.
But injections come with additional work for health services, so tablet forms could help millions more people trying to lose weight.Separate research published in JAMA Pediatrics on Monday shows weight loss jabs could be effective on children as young as six who are obese or have type 2 diabetes.However, stomach problems were “significantly more common” among children taking the drugs, the researchers said.They said longer follow-up periods in future trials and more real-world studies were “essential to establish the long-term effects of GLP-1 RAs in children and adolescents”.
Nationwide chair first major British lender boss to publicly engage with Reform UK
Nationwide building society has defended its chair, Kevin Parry, after he became the first boss of a major British lender to publicly engage with Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party.It emerged on Wednesday that Parry, who has been chair of the member-owned building society since 2016, attended a breakfast event earlier this week meant to help companies understand Reform’s approach to business.The breakfast event was hosted by Sanctuary Counsel, a consultancy focused on “building, enhancing and protecting” the reputation of clients, with Parry seated next to Reform’s deputy leader, Richard Tice.It makes Parry the first senior boss from a UK bank or lender to be publicly seen with the party, which has outlined controversial policies including the mass deportation of asylum seekers, ripping up green energy contracts and stripping the City watchdog of its power to regulate the banking industry.The building society, which is owned by its 17 million members, defended Parry’s attendance – which was first reported by the Financial Times – saying it was part of “routine” engagement with parties across the political spectrum
Labor statistics chief fired by Trump sounds alarm over White House’s ‘dangerous’ interference
The former chief US economics data statistics who Donald Trump fired last month called her sudden removal “dangerous” and said Americans should be concerned about the independence of key economic institutions.“Markets have to trust the data are not manipulated,” said Erika McEntarfer, former head of the Bureau Labor of Statistics, on Tuesday in her first remarks since her firing. “Firing your chief statisticians for releasing data you do not like, it has serious economic consequences.”The bureau collects and releases key economic data on the labor market and prices. In August, the bureau revised down initial figures that showed steady job growth in May and June by 258,000
UK is going to be ‘AI superpower’, says Nvidia boss as he invests £500m
Jensen Huang, the co-founder and chief executive of the US AI chipmaker Nvidia, has predicted “the UK is going to be an AI superpower” as he announced a new £500m investment in a British firm.Huang, who is due to join Donald Trump at Wednesday night’s state banquet with the king, said he was taking an equity stake in NScale, a UK cloud computing company, and predicted it would earn revenues of up to £50bn over the next six years.“We’re here to announce that the UK is going to be an AI superpower,” he told a press conference in London.Huang cited as evidence of Britain’s potential its universities and several companies founded in the UK, ranging from the AI giant DeepMind to the driverless car startup Wayve. “You just don’t appreciate it
Temu’s UK operation doubles revenues and pre-tax profits
The UK operation of the Chinese online marketplace Temu doubled revenues and pre-tax profits last year, as British consumers snapped up products offered by the super-budget retailer.Temu UK reported revenues of $63.3m (£46.4m) last year, almost double the $32m in 2023, while pre-tax profits similarly surged from $2m to $3.9m, accounts show
Salt thrashes England past Ireland in first T20 as Bethell’s big day goes to plan
Jacob Bethell’s big day began awkwardly and ended with England dominant. After Ireland put up 196, some serious work was required as the 21-year-old became his country’s youngest men’s captain.Enter Phil Salt, ready to make headlines once again. The opener followed his 141 not out against South Africa last Friday with 89 off 46 balls as England secured victory in the first of three Twenty20 internationals with 14 balls to spare.Ireland’s bowling effort could not live up to their strong display in the first half, when Harry Tector and Lorcan Tucker combined for a third-wicket partnership of 123 off 11
Gout Gout channels Bolt, horses and butterflies ahead of semi-final test
An unenviable draw and his struggle to get out of the blocks will almost certainly end the debut of Gout Gout at the world championships in his semi-final on Thursday, but the teenager remains upbeat about his prospects having survived his first major international test.The Australian overcame a ponderous first 30m to finish third in his heat in 20.23sec, the 12th fastest time across all qualifiers for the semis.Given eight athletes will progress to the final, Gout might be considered a chance, especially given he cruised through the final 50m of his heat.He has stated his ambition for the meet is to break the 20-second barrier
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