Data presented at the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) Annual Meeting 2026 showed that Lilly’s Foundayo (orforglipron) was associated with greater reductions in both body weight and HbA1c than Novo’s Rybelsus (semaglutide) in adults with type 2 diabetes (T2D) who were overweight or had obesity. The results highlight orforglipron’s potential as a differentiated oral option for addressing both glycemic control and weight management, says GlobalData, a leading intelligence and productivity platform.

T2D is a chronic metabolic disease characterized by elevated blood glucose levels and is commonly associated with overweight or obesity, making both glycemic control and weight management important treatment goals. Although both treatments are oral GLP-1 receptor agonists, orforglipron is a small-molecule, non-peptide therapy that can be taken without food or water restrictions, offering greater flexibility in daily administration.

Maria Alexandrovich, Pharma Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “Orforglipron could strengthen Lilly’s position in the growing oral GLP-1 market, particularly given its efficacy advantage over oral semaglutide in T2D. The ability to take orforglipron without dietary restrictions could further reduce treatment burden and potentially support adherence in routine use.”

An indirect treatment comparison using data from the Phase III ACHIEVE-3 and PIONEER-PLUS trials evaluated orforglipron 17.2mg against oral semaglutide 25mg. At 52 weeks, orforglipron was associated with a 1.46 percentage point greater reduction in body weight and a 0.31 percentage point greater reduction in HbA1c, with both differences reaching statistical significance. The findings were also consistent across multiple sensitivity analyses.

Alexandrovich continues: “The results suggest that orforglipron may offer an efficacy advantage across two key T2D treatment goals, although the indirect nature of the analysis means that direct head-to-head studies and longer-term outcomes are needed to establish the clinical significance of these differences.”

 Alexandrovich concludes: “Overall, the findings support orforglipron as a competitive oral GLP-1 option in T2D, combining strong glycemic control and weight-loss efficacy with simpler daily administration. Longer-term evidence will help determine whether these advantages translate into improved outcomes in clinical practice.”