Next-Generation Obesity Treatments Gain Traction in 2026 as Brazil Nears Semaglutide Patent Lapse

Overview

• Eli Lilly’s oral pill orforgliprona produced up to 12.4% weight loss at 72 weeks in company-reported data, and the firm says it expects regulatory clearance this year.
• In a Lilly study, patients who switched from weekly injections (Wegovy or Mounjaro) to orforgliprona maintained most of their prior weight loss over 52 weeks, regaining at most about 6 kilograms.
• Oral semaglutide (Wegovy oral) won U.S. approval in late 2025, showed a 13.6% average reduction at 64 weeks in trials, and carries stricter fasting and timing requirements than orforgliprona’s flexible dosing.
• Late-stage injectables report larger average losses: Novo Nordisk’s CagriSema cut weight by 22.7% at 68 weeks, and Lilly’s retatrutida showed 28.7% at 68 weeks in early phase‑3 data.
• Brazil’s semaglutide patent is expected to expire in March, with Hypera Pharma, Biomm, Eurofarma, EMS and Fiocruz planning similar or generic launches as monthly costs now reach about R$2,000 and generics must be at least 35% cheaper.