After main weight reduction with injectable incretin therapies, once-daily oral orforglipron helped contributors protect a lot of their progress, providing a possible upkeep possibility for individuals who cease injections.
Trial: Orforglipron for upkeep of physique weight discount: the double-blind, randomized part 3b ATTAIN-MAINTAIN trial. Picture Credit score: sweet_tomato / Shutterstock
A latest research revealed within the journal Nature Medication confirmed the potential of an oral glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonist (GLP-1RA), orforglipron, for weight reduction upkeep after injectable incretin-based remedy.
Oral Orforglipron Weight Upkeep Background
Weight problems is a persistent, multifactorial, and relapsing illness. Whereas incretins have improved weight problems administration, continued administration is important to keep up well being advantages. Orforglipron is being investigated as a remedy for kind 2 diabetes (T2D) and weight problems. It has proven cardiometabolic enhancements and weight-loss efficacy, with a security profile usually much like that reported for injectable GLP-1RAs in prior research. As an oral, non-peptide remedy, orforglipron can probably get rid of some limitations to injectable remedy.
ATTAIN-MAINTAIN Trial Examine Design
Within the current research, researchers evaluated the protection and efficacy of orforglipron in physique weight upkeep after remedy with injectables. Within the SURMOUNT-5 research, adults with weight problems or a physique mass index (BMI) of a minimum of 27 kg/m² with obesity-related issues, however with out diabetes, acquired semaglutide or tirzepatide for 72 weeks. The present trial, particularly ATTAIN-MAINTAIN, randomized SURMOUNT-5 contributors to obtain orforglipron or placebo as soon as every day.
Members had been initiated on 12 mg orforglipron, or an identical placebo, inside 14 days of the final dose in SURMOUNT-5. Orforglipron dose was elevated each 4 weeks till most tolerated dose (MTD) or 36 mg, and this was continued till the tip of the 52-week research. The research’s main endpoint was the p.c upkeep of physique weight discount in people with plateaued physique weight, viz., < 5% weight change throughout weeks 60–72 in SURMOUNT-5.
Key secondary endpoints included sustaining ≥80% physique weight reduction amongst contributors with plateaued physique weight, together with different measures assessed throughout all contributors. Security endpoints had been treatment-emergent antagonistic occasions (TEAEs), severe antagonistic occasions (SAEs), and discontinuation resulting from antagonistic occasions (AEs). Exploratory endpoints had been adjustments in cardiometabolic parameters, use of rescue orforglipron for weight regain of ≥ 50% of the load loss attained in SURMOUNT-5, and adjustments in patient-reported outcomes.
Weight Loss Upkeep Trial Findings
The trial assigned 205 tirzepatide recipients (cohort 1) and 171 semaglutide recipients (cohort 2) from SURMOUNT-5 to obtain orforglipron or placebo. Members’ imply age was related in each cohorts (~49 years). The research inhabitants was predominantly White (~74%) and feminine (~65%). The imply BMI was 31.2 kg/m2 in cohort 1 and 33.2 kg/m2 in cohort 2. About 77% and 80% of contributors in cohorts 1 and a pair of, respectively, accomplished the research remedy.
In cohort 1, contributors with physique weight plateau maintained about 75% of the load discount with orforglipron in comparison with 49% with placebo. Additional, 43.7% of orforglipron recipients in cohort 1 maintained a minimum of 80% of the load loss achieved in SURMOUNT-5, in comparison with 16.4% of placebo recipients. The orforglipron group additionally maintained reductions in cardiometabolic threat components, together with glycated hemoglobin, lipid markers, insulin ranges, and fasting glucose ranges.
In cohort 2, contributors with physique weight plateau maintained ~79% of weight reduction with orforglipron in comparison with ~38% with placebo. Furthermore, 55% of people assigned to orforglipron maintained a minimum of 80% of the load loss achieved in SURMOUNT-5, whereas about 7% maintained it with placebo. Persistently, reductions in cardiometabolic threat components achieved in SURMOUNT-5 had been preserved with orforglipron.
Rescue Remedy and Security Findings
Rescue remedy with 1 mg orforglipron was initiated for placebo topics who regained ≥ 50% of the load loss achieved in SURMOUNT-5. Dose escalation till MTD was permitted each 4 weeks. Thirty-nine people in cohort 1 and 42 topics in cohort 2 acquired rescue remedy with orforglipron. In each cohorts, solely 37 people initially assigned to the placebo accomplished it with out receiving an lively remedy (e.g., orforglipron rescue or different weight problems medicine), which complicates the interpretation of placebo comparisons after week 24.
About 4.8%–7.3% of contributors in each cohorts discontinued remedy resulting from AEs with orforglipron. Nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, and constipation had been the most typical AEs with orforglipron. AE severity was principally delicate to reasonable. SAEs had been reported by 5 contributors, together with three within the orforglipron group in cohort 1 and one every in each teams in cohort 2. One loss of life within the cohort 2 orforglipron group was recorded and was deemed unrelated to the research remedy.
Orforglipron Weight problems Remedy Implications
The research evaluated the transition from injectable to oral, non-peptide GLP-1RA remedy for weight problems. Members on orforglipron maintained clinically significant and important physique weight reduction achieved with injectables. On common, orforglipron remedy was related to common physique weight reductions from week 0 to week 52 of ATTAIN-MAINTAIN of about 5 kg in cohort 1 and 1 kg in cohort 2 whereas largely preserving prior injectable-associated weight reduction. The findings had been in line with prior orforglipron trial knowledge and with the broader security profile reported for GLP-1 receptor agonists.
The research’s limitations embrace a predominantly White inhabitants from america (US), a trial period of 1 12 months, rescue remedy after week 24 that restricted pure placebo comparisons, and the shortage of continued remedy with injectables as a comparator.
General, once-daily oral orforglipron remedy minimized physique weight adjustments following weight reduction achieved with injectable semaglutide or tirzepatide in individuals residing with weight problems with out T2D. As such, switching to orforglipron might assist preserve weight reduction in individuals who discontinue injectable remedy.
Journal reference:
- Aronne LJ, Horn DB, le Roux CW, et al. (2026). Orforglipron for upkeep of physique weight discount: the double-blind, randomized part 3b ATTAIN-MAINTAIN trial. Nature Medication. DOI: 10.1038/s41591-026-04386-7, https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-026-04386-7

