(Reuters) -Eli Lilly on Wednesday said its experimental pill led to more weight loss and better control of blood sugar in patients with diabetes than oral semaglutide, the active ingredient in Danish rival Novo Nordisk’s diabetes and weight-loss medicines.
The late-stage head-to-head trial compared two different doses of the two drugs on patients with diabetes to assess glycemic control and weight loss. Two groups received either a 12 mg or 36 mg dose of orforglipron. Two other groups received either a 7 mg or 14 mg dose of oral semaglutide.
Novo sells the oral semaglutide under the brand name Rybelsus for patients with type 2 diabetes to control blood sugar.
U.S. regulators are also reviewing a 25 mg dose of oral semaglutide that Novo is developing for people who are overweight or obes