AstraZeneca's New Oral GLP-1 Aids Weight Loss and Lowers Blood Sugar

on PinterestAstraZeneca’s new oral GLP-1 pill showed promising results for weight loss and blood sugar in a phase 2 trial.

on PinterestAstraZeneca’s new oral GLP-1 pill showed promising results for weight loss and blood sugar in a phase 2 trial. Guido Mieth/Getty Images

• A new GLP-1 oral medication from AstraZeneca, known as elecoglipron, lowered blood sugar levels and led to 10.5% weight loss in a phase 2b clinical trial.
• Experts say GLP-1 drugs in tablet form may encourage more people to take these medications to help treat type 2 diabetes and obesity.
• When using any GLP-1 medication, it’s still important to maintain a healthy lifestyle, including regular exercise and a balanced diet.

A new GLP-1 oral tablet has shown promising results in a phase 2b clinical trial for the treatment of type 2 diabetes.

Officials at AstraZeneca report that their new medication, elecoglipron, helped people with type 2 diabetes reduce blood glucose levels and lose 10.5% of their body weight at 26 weeks.

The results were reported at the American Diabetes Association 2026 Scientific Sessions in New Orleans and were published in The Lancet on June 8.

AstraZeneca’s elecoglipron is the latest GLP-1 medication to be developed in pill form, rather than injectable treatments like Ozempic, Wegovy, Zepbound, and Mounjaro.

The first oral pill was Rybelsus, a tablet manufactured by Novo Nordisk, initially approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2019 for adults diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.

In December 2025, the FDA approved a new Wegovy pill, also manufactured by Novo Nordisk, for weight loss treatment. In April, FDA officials gave the green light to Foundayo, an oral tablet manufactured by Eli Lilly, which is also used for weight management.

Experts not involved in AstraZeneca’s trial say the results are a promising step toward treating type 2 diabetes and obesity.

“It’s exciting to see another new oral medication that reinforces the positive effects of non-injectable GLP-1 medications,” said Pouya Shafipour, MD, a family and obesity medicine physician at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in California.

“The GLP-1 agonist market is expanding quickly and this study’s results indicate there may eventually be another oral GLP-1 agonist on the market if the phase 3 trial is successful and if the manufacturer seeks FDA approval,” added Marilyn Tan, MD, an endocrinologist and professor of medicine at Stanford University.

AstraZeneca’s oral GLP-1 led to 10.5% weight loss

The phase 2b SOLSTICE randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial involved 406 adults with type 2 diabetes. The participants were from nine countries, including the United States.

The trial, which was funded by AstraZeneca, tested different starting doses, dose-escalation schemes, and maintenance doses over a 26-week period. The participants were assigned to different treatment groups, including those given a placebo.

Researchers reported that nearly 90% of participants who took the medication achieved an HbA1c level of 7%, the standard target for average blood glucose levels. That compared with about 25% of participants who were administered a placebo.

The researchers added that 72% of participants in the treatment groups achieved at least a 5% weight reduction with an average of 10.5% at 26 weeks. They also reported that the safety and tolerability of elecoglipron were similar to those of other GLP-1 medications at this

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