Why This Matters for the UK

More than 1.5 million people in Britain are now using injectable GLP-1s. Many are happy with the once-a-week convenience, but for those who can’t, or simply don’t want to self-inject, a daily pill could be a kinder alternative.

Lilly has also suggested that because orforglipron is a small-molecule pill rather than a complex biologic injection, it may be easier and cheaper to manufacture at scale (Lilly, 2025). Pricing hasn’t been confirmed, but wider supply and simpler production could, in theory, soften the blow for private users.

And that’s worth noting in the same breath as the Mounjaro price rises we reported recently, where monthly costs for private patients jumped from around £122 to over £300. Pills like Orforglipron could bring balance back to a market where injectables currently dominate.

Before you buy your next pen… 

Don’t miss our brand-new UK GLP-1 Price Comparison Tool. We’ve compiled a list of the top prescribers in the country, along with a detailed breakdown of Mounjaro and Wegovy prices by dose. It’s updated every month, so you can see instantly who’s cheapest and avoid overpaying.

A New Option on the Horizon

For anyone who doesn’t fancy a weekly jab, there may soon be another way. Eli Lilly’s oral GLP-1 pill, Orforglipron, has shown strong results in late-stage trials and is now heading for regulatory submission by the end of 2025. If approved, it could arrive in the UK as early as mid-2026.

Unlike injectables like Mounjaro or Wegovy, Orforglipron is taken once daily as a tablet, no needles, no need to line up injection days with social plans, just a pill you swallow.

What the Trials Show

In Phase 3 studies, people taking Orforglipron lost an average of 10–12% of their body weight over about 18 months, with some losing much more. It also improved blood sugar and heart-health markers, while side effects were similar to injectable GLP-1s, mainly nausea and digestive upset, usually mild to moderate (PRNewswire, 2025).

That makes it less powerful than Mounjaro injections, which can deliver 15–20% weight loss, but it’s still a major breakthrough for people who want support without injections.