Orforglipron, retatrutide in focus
Analysts named Lilly’s oral GLP‑1 orforglipron and the triple‑agonist retatrutide as defining cardiometabolic drugs to watch over the next decade. (PharmExec’s coverage highlighted both molecules as standouts in a market analysts project could reach $150 billion by 2035.) (pharmexec.com)
These two Lilly drugs sit at the center of the next obesity-and-diabetes race: one is now an approved daily pill, and the other is a weekly shot still in Phase 3. (clarivate.com) Orforglipron, sold as Foundayo, won United States approval on April 1, 2026, for adults with obesity or overweight plus a weight-related condition. Lilly said the pill can be taken any time of day without food or water restrictions. (prnewswire.com) In Lilly’s 72-week ATTAIN-1 trial, adults taking the highest dose of orforglipron lost an average of 27.3 pounds. Lilly said the drug is now shipping through LillyDirect, telehealth providers and retail pharmacies, with prices starting at $25 a month for commercially insured patients and $149 for self-pay. (prnewswire.com) These medicines target hormones that help control appetite, blood sugar and energy use. Clarivate said the obesity-drug market could reach $150 billion by 2035 and put both orforglipron and retatrutide on its 2026 Drugs to Watch list. (clarivate.com) The pill matters because the current leaders in this market are mostly injections. Clarivate said orforglipron could improve adherence for patients who avoid needles, while still competing in obesity and type 2 diabetes. (clarivate.com) Retatrutide is Lilly’s more experimental bet: a “triple agonist” that hits three hormone pathways at once — glucagon-like peptide-1, glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide and glucagon. Clarivate said that three-part design could make it the first “triple G” entrant in obesity and type 2 diabetes. (clarivate.com) In Lilly’s first Phase 3 readout for retatrutide, released December 11, 2025, people with obesity and knee osteoarthritis lost 28.7% of body weight at 68 weeks on the 12-milligram dose. Lilly also said pain and physical function improved, and seven more Phase 3 trials in obesity and type 2 diabetes are expected to finish in 2026. (prnewswire.com) Orforglipron also has diabetes data. In the Phase 3 ACHIEVE-1 trial, Lilly said the pill lowered hemoglobin A1C by 1.3% to 1.6% and reduced weight by 16.0 pounds at the highest dose in adults with type 2 diabetes. (prnewswire.com) Lilly later reported head-to-head data against oral semaglutide in the 1,698-patient ACHIEVE-3 trial. The company said detailed results published in March 2026 showed stronger blood-sugar control and weight loss for orforglipron than oral semaglutide in adults taking metformin. (prnewswire.com) Clarivate’s forecast is aggressive: it projects $11.1 billion in 2031 obesity sales for orforglipron across the Group of Seven markets, and says the United States launch for retatrutide is expected in 2028. That leaves Lilly with one drug already on shelves and another still trying to prove that bigger weight-loss numbers can hold up in larger late-stage trials. (clarivate.com)
