AstraZeneca says its oral GLP-1 won both Phase 2b trials but withholds the data

AstraZeneca said its oral GLP-1 drug, elecoglipron, met its main goals in two Phase 2 trials and will move into Phase 3 development this year ^[1]. The company has not released the actual weight-loss or blood sugar numbers, saying that data will come at the American Diabetes Association conference in June ^[1].

The first trial, called Vista, tested elecoglipron against a placebo over 36 weeks in 310 people with obesity or overweight, and wrapped up in November ^[1]. The second trial, Solstice, tested the drug against placebo or semaglutide (the active ingredient in Wegovy) in 406 people with type 2 diabetes over the same time frame, and finished in December ^[1]. AstraZeneca disclosed the results in its full-year 2025 earnings presentation, stating that both studies hit their primary endpoints ^[1].

AstraZeneca CEO Pascal Soriot declined to give specifics when asked whether elecoglipron's results measured up to rival drugs already on the market. He told reporters, "The only thing I will say is that we have a very competitive profile," and added that the company would not commit to the cost of Phase 3 testing, including combination studies and cardiovascular outcome trials, if it did not believe in the drug ^[1].

Elecoglipron was licensed from Eccogene in 2023 ^[1]. It joins a crowded field of oral GLP-1 candidates. Novo Nordisk became the first company to launch an oral GLP-1 pill for weight loss when it introduced the oral version of Wegovy in December ^[1]. Eli Lilly's own GLP-1 pill, orforglipron, sold under the brand name Foundayo, is reportedly expected to get an FDA decision early in the second quarter of 2026 ^[1]. Separately, Hims & Hers has faced pressure from the FDA and from Novo Nordisk over its attempt to sell a copycat version of Novo's pill, a dispute the story cites as evidence of how high the stakes are in the race for oral obesity drugs ^[1].

Why it matters for patients

For people weighing their options among GLP-1 treatments, this news signals that another oral pill is likely coming, but it does not yet tell patients how well it might work or how it compares to existing drugs like Wegovy, Ozempic, Rybelsus, Mounjaro, or Zepbound. AstraZeneca has confirmed only that elecoglipron met its trial goals, not the size of the effect ^[1]. Until the company releases numbers in June, patients and doctors have no way to judge whether the drug's weight-loss or blood sugar results are stronger, weaker, or similar to current treatments. This kind of delayed data release is not unusual in drug development, but it means market speculation may run ahead of the facts for several more months.

AstraZeneca is also working on other weight management approaches beyond elecoglipron. The company's long-acting amylin drug, AZD6234, is expected to produce Phase 2 data in the first half of 2026, and a combination study pairing it with another compound, AZD9550, is due in the second half of the year ^[1]. AstraZeneca additionally paid $1.2 billion upfront in January for rights to a portfolio of once-monthly injectable weight management drugs from CSPC Pharmaceuticals, led by a compound called SYH2082 that is being prepared for its first human trials ^[1]. Soriot said the broader goal is to improve convenience, such as moving from weekly to monthly injections, and to improve the quality of weight loss by preserving more muscle and losing more fat ^[1].

What happens next

AstraZeneca plans to begin Phase 3 trials of elecoglipron this year ^[1]. The company said it will release detailed weight-loss and blood sugar data from the Vista and Solstice trials at the American Diabetes Association conference in June ^[1]. Eli Lilly's orforglipron pill is expected to receive an FDA decision early in the second quarter of 2026 ^[1].