*

Orforglipron maintains weight loss after switching from

injectable GLP-1 drugs

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Lilly and Novo Nordisk await U.S. regulatory approvals for

weight-loss pills

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FDA may expedite review of Lilly's orforglipron

(Adds analyst comment in paragraph 6, investor comment in

paragraph 8)

By Christy Santhosh and Sneha S K

Dec 18 (Reuters) - Eli Lilly's ( LLY ) oral pill helped

maintain weight loss in patients switching from injectable

versions of GLP-1 drugs, the company said on Thursday, in a

boost to deliver a more convenient obesity treatment option.

An oral weight-loss pill would help Lilly further widen its

lead over close rival Novo Nordisk and strengthen its

position in a market that is expected to see several new

entrants.

Both Lilly and Novo are awaiting U.S. regulatory approvals

for their pills, with a decision on Novo's oral Wegovy expected

at the end of December and Lilly's orforglipron early next year.

In the late-stage trial, patients who took orforglipron for

52 weeks, after an initial treatment period of 72 weeks with

Wegovy or Zepbound, showed superior weight maintenance compared

to those on placebo, Lilly said.

Patients who switched from Wegovy maintained their

previously achieved weight loss with an average difference of

0.9 kilograms (kg), while those who switched from Zepbound

maintained it with an average difference of 5 kg.

"An 80-95% maintenance of weight loss certainly would look

good in marketing materials. This now confirms that orforglipron

can be a great option for de-escalating treatment and improving

convenience for chronic weight maintenance," Bernstein analyst

Courtney Breen said.

The most commonly reported side effects were mild to

moderate and gastrointestinal, consistent with previous studies

on orforglipron.

"Lilly has had an excellent recent run and we would not

categorize this clinical trial as pivotal however strong the

results are this morning," said Kevin Gade, chief operating

officer at Bahl and Gaynor, which holds Lilly shares.

Lilly's pill helped patients lose 12.4% of their body weight

in a late-stage study. In a separate trial, Novo's pill led to a

16.6% reduction in weight.

Lilly was granted a fast-track voucher for its pill in

November as part of a deal with the Trump administration to

lower the prices of its weight-loss medicines for government

programs and cash-paying patients.

According to a Reuters report, leaders at the U.S. Food and

Drug Administration have pressed internally for reviewers to

speed up their evaluation of orforglipron, after the company

pushed for a faster timeline.

The agency could decide on Lilly's pill as early as March 28

if the new timeline is adopted.

(Reporting by Christy Santhosh and Sneha S K in Bengaluru;

Editing by Anil D'Silva)