STAT+: AstraZeneca’s GLP-1 pill shows promise in obesity, diabetes trials

STAT PlusPharma AstraZeneca’s GLP-1 pill shows promise in obesity, diabetes trials Treatment could come with advantages, but similar therapies have seen liver issues Manage alerts for this article Email this article Share this article By Elaine ChenJune 8, 2026 Chen, a national biotech reporter, is the co-author of The Readout, a newsletter about the business, science, and politics of biotech. Elaine Chen[email protected]Elaine’s stories explore the boom in new obesity treatments, new drug payment models, the ways companies are affected by FDA changes, and the emerging psychedelics drug sector. She co-writes The Readout newsletter, and co-hosts STAT’s weekly biotech podcast, The Readout Loud. You can reach Elaine on Signal at elaineywchen.70. AstraZeneca’s investigational GLP-1 pill showed promise in mid-stage obesity and diabetes studies, but it may still be too early to determine how it stacks up against oral treatments already on the market. In one Phase 2 trial of people with obesity, called VISTA, those on the highest dose of the drug, called elecoglipron, lost 11.2% of their weight after 36 weeks, when looking at all patients regardless of discontinuations, according to data presented Monday at the annual meeting of the American Diabetes Association and published in the Lancet. (Eli Lilly’s pill Foundayo led to the same rate of weight loss in a Phase 3 study that lasted twice as long, but it’s hard to compare across trials in different phases.) Advertisement In a separate Phase 2 trial in people with diabetes, called SOLSTICE, patients on the highest dose saw up to a 1.74 percentage-point decrease in a measure of blood sugar called A1C after 26 weeks. The study, also published in the Lancet, enrolled people taking oral Ozempic open-label as a comparator group, and they experienced a smaller A1C decrease of 1.32 percentage points. STAT+ Exclusive Story Already have an account? Log in This article is exclusive to STAT+ subscribers Unlock this article — plus daily coverage and analysis of the pharma industry — by subscribing to STAT+. Already have an account? Log in Monthly $39 Totals $468 per year $39/month Get Started Totals $468 per year Starter $30 for 3 months, then $399/year $30 for 3 months Get Started Then $399/year Annual $399 Save 15% $399/year Get Started Save 15% 11+ Users Custom Savings start at 25%! Request A Quote Request A Quote Savings start at 25%! 2-10 Users $300 Annually per user $300/year Get Started $300 Annually per user View All Plans To read the rest of this story subscribe to STAT+. Subscribe Log In AstraZeneca, biotechnology, drug development, Obesity, Pharmaceuticals, STAT+, weight loss Submit a correction requestReprints Elaine Chen National Biotech Reporter Elaine’s stories explore the boom in new obesity treatments, new drug payment models, the ways companies are affected by FDA changes, and the emerging psychedelics drug sector. She co-writes The Readout newsletter, and co-hosts STAT’s weekly biotech podcast, The Readout Loud. You can reach Elaine on Signal at elaineywchen.70. Newsletter Your morning rundown of the science, politics, and money driving biotech today Recommended Neurotransmissions June 8, 2026 STAT Report: Dementia care’s radical new era Health Care Inc. Newsletter June 8, 2026 STAT Plus: UnitedHealthcare’s lactation billing feud, and fake strokes Advertisement The Readout June 8, 2026 STAT Plus: Novo underwhelmed by drug it once fought Pfizer for Pharmalot June 8, 2026 STAT Plus: Pharmalittle: We’re reading about Lilly and Pfizer obesity drug data, Roche and J&J deals, and more Biotech June 8, 2026 STAT Plus: J&J spends $1 billion to enter KRAS race for cancer treatments Subscriber Picks