A new pill for obesity shows promising results

A new oral treatment for obesity and overweight has just demonstrated its effectiveness in a recent study. The drug, administered in tablet form, enables significant weight loss in affected adults. After 36 weeks of treatment, participants lost between 8 and 11 percent of their body weight depending on the dose, with no sign of the weight loss plateauing by the end of the period. An interim analysis even revealed that this loss continued beyond this duration, reaching up to 16 percent after 56 weeks for the highest doses.

The study included 230 adults with an average body mass index of 39.5, of whom 54 percent were women. Side effects, mainly digestive issues such as nausea or diarrhea, were generally mild to moderate. Their frequency decreased over time, and treatment interruptions related to these effects were limited to 10 percent of participants. No drug-induced liver injury was observed.

This treatment works by mimicking a natural hormone that reduces appetite, increases the feeling of fullness, and slows stomach emptying. Unlike most similar drugs available, it is taken orally, which simplifies its use and storage. This could broaden its accessibility to a larger number of people, as it avoids the constraints associated with injections and strict storage conditions.

The results also show notable improvements in other cardiovascular risk factors. Both systolic and diastolic blood pressure decreased, as did levels of C-reactive protein, a marker of inflammation in the body. Additionally, glycated hemoglobin levels, an indicator of diabetes risk, significantly decreased in participants on active treatment.

Participants started with a low dose, which was gradually increased every four weeks until reaching the maintenance dose. This approach helped limit initial adverse effects. Those who had to temporarily interrupt treatment were able to resume it without major recurrence of side effects, suggesting good long-term tolerance.

Although digestive issues were common at the beginning, they diminished as treatment continued. Researchers noted that participants who started with an even lower dose in the study’s extension phase showed better tolerance, with no dropouts due to adverse effects.

This drug could therefore represent a major breakthrough for people who are overweight or obese, offering an effective and more accessible alternative to existing treatments. Its development continues to confirm these encouraging results.

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-026-04476-6

Title: Oral small molecule GLP-1 receptor agonist aleniglipron in people with overweight or obesity: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 2b trial

Journal: Nature Medicine

Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC

Authors: Julio Rosenstock; Ildiko Lingvay; Donna Ryan; Ania M. Jastreboff; Robert Kushner; Andres Acosta; Thomas C. Blevins; Melissa Choi; Faith L. Holmes; Timothy Smith; Lisa Connery; Yao Li; Mike Ke Liu; Aline Barth; Jamie Butcher; Antonio Civitarese; Huibin Yue; Blai Coll;