AstraZeneca obesity pill moves to Phase III after nearly 12% weight loss in mid-stage trials

AstraZeneca Obesity Pill Elecoglipron Advances to Phase III After Delivering Nearly 12% Weight Loss

AstraZeneca unveiled full results from two mid-stage trials of its experimental oral obesity drug elecoglipron on Monday at the American Diabetes Association’s 2026 Scientific Sessions in New Orleans, revealing that the once-daily pill produced an average body weight reduction of 10.5% at 26 weeks and 11.8% at 36 weeks in adults with obesity or overweight. The results, published simultaneously in The Lancet, showed no signs of a weight-loss plateau, a detail the company says supports advancement into a comprehensive Phase III clinical program.marketscreener

In the VISTA trial, which enrolled 310 adults with obesity or overweight and at least one weight-related comorbidity, up to 88.8% of participants receiving the 75 mg dose of elecoglipron achieved at least 5% body weight reduction at 26 weeks, compared with 0.6% in the placebo group. The drug also showed improvements in cardiometabolic markers, including reductions in blood pressure and C-reactive protein, a measure of systemic inflammation.prnewswire

Dual Wins in Obesity and Diabetes

A companion trial, SOLSTICE, tested elecoglipron in 406 adults with type 2 diabetes and yielded similarly encouraging results. Participants on the 75 mg dose saw a mean reduction in HbA1c — a key measure of long-term blood sugar control — of 1.9%, compared with 0.2% in the placebo group. Ninety percent of those on the highest dose reached an HbA1c below 7%, and 85% reached 6.5% or lower. The drug also produced a 7.7% reduction in body weight among diabetes patients at 26 weeks.marketscreener

AstraZeneca had disclosed in February that both trials met their primary endpoints, but held back detailed data for the ADA presentation. The company, which licensed elecoglipron from China-based Eccogene in 2023, said at the time that Phase III trials would begin in 2026.biospace

Entering a Crowded Field

Elecoglipron faces a rapidly evolving competitive landscape. Eli Lilly won FDA approval in April for its oral GLP-1 pill Foundayo (orforglipron), which showed 12.4% weight loss at 72 weeks at its highest dose in the Phase III ATTAIN-1 trial. Novo Nordisk had already launched an oral formulation of its injectable blockbuster Wegovy earlier in the year.cnbc

Elecoglipron’s 11.8% weight loss at just 36 weeks — roughly half the treatment duration of Foundayo’s pivotal study — could signal competitive potency, though direct comparisons across trials are unreliable. Unlike Foundayo, however, elecoglipron remains years from a potential approval. AstraZeneca CEO Pascal Soriot said in February that he expects the oral candidate to be “very competitive” with existing therapies. The company has also bolstered its cardiometabolic ambitions with an $18.5 billion licensing deal with CSPC Pharmaceuticals for longer-acting weight-loss agents.yahoo