{"id":329079,"date":"2025-12-04T01:23:08","date_gmt":"2025-12-04T01:23:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/329079\/"},"modified":"2025-12-04T01:23:08","modified_gmt":"2025-12-04T01:23:08","slug":"glp-1-pills-for-weight-loss-do-they-work-how-much-do-they-cost","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/329079\/","title":{"rendered":"GLP-1 Pills for Weight Loss\u2014Do They Work? How Much Do They Cost?"},"content":{"rendered":"

The weight-loss medications<\/a> semaglutide (Wegovy) and tirzepatide (Zepbound) have been game changers for millions of Americans who want to shed extra pounds. New data from Gallup<\/a> even suggests that these meds are responsible for the recent decline in American obesity. But their benefits go beyond weight loss. Originally formulated to treat type 2 diabetes, GLP-1s have also been shown to help with cardiovascular disease<\/a>, serious liver disease<\/a>, and in the case of Zepbound, sleep apnea<\/a>. <\/p>\n

Semaglutide belongs to a class of medications called GLP-1 receptor agonists. It mimics a hormone naturally released when you eat, which helps trigger insulin production and a feeling of fullness, explains Caroline Apovian, MD<\/a>, codirector of the Center for Weight Management and Wellness at Brigham and Women\u2019s Hospital in Boston. Tirzepatide works similarly by combining GLP-1 with another hunger-regulating hormone, called GIP. <\/p>\n

There are a couple of wrinkles, though: Both require weekly injections, and they aren\u2019t always covered by insurance. (When that happens, you can buy them directly through the manufacturer<\/a>, but you\u2019ll pay roughly $400 to $500 for a one-month supply.)<\/p>\n

Relief may soon be on the horizon\u2014in a form you can swallow with a swig of water. Researchers are studying an oral version of semaglutide along with another experimental GLP-1 drug, orforglipron, for weight loss\u2014with expectations for FDA approval in 2026. Here\u2019s everything we know so far about these alternatives: <\/p>\n

How would oral GLP-1 medications work?<\/p>\n

The oral drugs work much the same way as the injectables, says Louis Aronne, MD<\/a>, the Sanford I. Weill Professor of Metabolic Research at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York City. But he notes that there are some key differences. Semaglutide is a peptide (a small chain of amino acids); when taken orally, it would normally be broken down by stomach enzymes in your GI tract. The pill version is specially formulated to protect it, but only a small amount is absorbed\u2014so popping semaglutide as a pill requires a higher dose than an injection, since some of the medication degrades in your stomach acid. <\/p>\n

Orforglipron, developed by Lilly, is also a type of GLP-1 agonist, but it\u2019s a smaller molecule that doesn\u2019t need to be digested by your stomach. As such, you can use lower doses than oral semaglutide and still have effective medication, Dr. Aronne explains. <\/p>\n

Will these pills work as well as injectables?<\/p>\n

It appears so. A 2025 study published in the New England Journal of Medicine<\/a> followed people who took 25 mg of oral semaglutide daily and found that they lost 13.6 percent of their body weight after 64 weeks\u2014very similar results to other studies looking at weight loss on the highest dose (2.4 mg)<\/a> of the weekly injectable version. (Again, the oral dose is significantly higher than the injectable, because a lot of it is degraded in the GI tract.) <\/p>\n

Orforglipron seems to be slightly less effective. People with obesity and no diabetes who took 36 mg for 72 weeks lost 12.4 percent of their body weight, according to another 2025 study, coauthored by Dr. Aronne and published in the New England Journal of Medicine<\/a>. But there may be other reasons for that, he notes. \u201cAbout one-third of the people in our study were men, which is higher than we usually see in these types of clinical trials. Women tend to lose a higher percentage of their body weight than men on these weight-loss drugs, so that could have skewed our results.\u201d The study participants weren\u2019t required to limit their caloric intake, either. \u201cIt\u2019s possible that for the oral medications to be as effective as the injectables, you need to use a more intensive dietary intervention,\u201d Dr. Aronne says. That means counting precise calories or macros rather than just, say, following a Mediterranean diet. <\/p>\n

However, none of these medications seem to induce as much weight loss as tirzepatide (Zepbound): People who take the maximum injectable dose of 15 mg weekly lose, on average, about 20 percent<\/a> of their overall body weight in 72 weeks.<\/p>\n

Will they have more side effects?<\/p>\n

All of these oral medications have similar side effects, mainly GI-related discomforts such as nausea, constipation, diarrhea, or heartburn. But there haven\u2019t been any head-to-head studies that compare injectables to oral medications, says Dr. Apovian. That needs to be done before any firm conclusions can be made, particularly when it comes to comparing side effects.<\/p>\n

In Dr. Aronne\u2019s clinical trial for orforglipron, the rate of adverse events (meaning health issues that happened during the trial, including things likely not related to the drug itself) appeared to be slightly lower than what\u2019s seen with injectables. But it\u2019s still not possible to say if it is lower until both are studied in the same trial with the same group of patients.<\/p>\n

Will they cost less?<\/p>\n

Oral weight-loss meds should cost less than injectables, because they\u2019re less expensive to manufacture and ship, says Dr. Aronne. \u201cThe injectable pens and vials need to be refrigerated at all times, so the cost to package and ship them is very high,\u201d he says. \u201cA shipping box for four injectables is large enough to fit 50 bottles of pills.\u201d<\/p>\n

New pricing plans<\/a> announced jointly by the Trump administration and drug manufacturers Lilly and Novo Nordisk (makers of orforglipron and semaglutide, respectively) seem to reflect this reality. Forthcoming GLP-1 pills for weight loss will reportedly cost self-pay customers $150 per month for the lowest dose. <\/p>\n

The lower cost might influence insurance coverage, too. \u201cSome insurers may opt to pay for oral GLP-1 medications, rather than injectables, because they\u2019re much cheaper,\u201d says Dr. Apovian.<\/p>\n

When will they become available?<\/p>\n

Novo Nordisk filed for<\/a> FDA approval for 25 mg of once-daily oral semaglutide for weight loss earlier this year. (An oral semaglutide for diabetes, called Rybelsus<\/a>, has already been approved by the FDA.) Lilly has announced plans to submit orforglipron<\/a> for FDA approval later this year. This means that there\u2019s a good chance that both drugs could become available in 2026, says Dr. Aronne. <\/p>\n

Whether you choose to use them, however, is a discussion you should have with your doctor. \u201cI think what it will come down to is whether patients are willing to sacrifice some efficacy for a less expensive, more convenient drug,\u201d says Dr. Apovian. \u201cYou won\u2019t have to refrigerate it, which makes it easier to take with you when you travel, and chances are it will cost less, too.\u201d It may be reasonable, she adds, for someone to try an oral GLP-1 first, and if they\u2019re not happy with the results, switch to an injectable. <\/p>\n

Ultimately, Dr. Apovian is optimistic about the prospect of more treatment options that are safe and effective for people who are overweight or obese. \u201cIn my mind, that\u2019s a win-win situation,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

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