Menopause analysis: weight loss at every stage
New Lilly data presented at ADA 2026 show women taking the highest dose of the oral drug orforglipron lost significant weight regardless of whether they were pre-, peri-, or post-menopausal.
Eli Lilly presented post-hoc analyses of more than 1,500 women from two Phase 3 trials showing that its oral obesity drug Foundayo (orforglipron) was linked to significant weight loss at every stage of menopause. The data were shown at the American Diabetes Association's 86th Scientific Sessions on June 7, 2026 [1][2][3].
The analyses drew on ATTAIN-1, a 72-week trial in adults with obesity or overweight who did not have diabetes, and ATTAIN-2, a 72-week trial in adults with obesity or overweight and type 2 diabetes [1][3]. Both trials tested Foundayo at doses of 5.5 mg, 9 mg, or 17.2 mg against placebo, with participants starting at 0.8 mg and stepping up every four weeks [1].
In ATTAIN-1, women on the highest dose lost up to 28.0 pounds (12.8%) if pre-menopausal, 30.4 pounds (14.4%) if perimenopausal, and 28.2 pounds (14.1%) if post-menopausal [1][2][3]. In ATTAIN-2, where all participants also had type 2 diabetes, women lost up to 23.4 pounds (11.3%) pre-menopause, 18.5 pounds (8.9%) perimenopause, and 27.8 pounds (13.6%) post-menopause [1][2][3]. At the highest dose, as many as 51.5% of women in ATTAIN-1 and 44.2% in ATTAIN-2 lost 15% or more of their body weight [1][2][3].
Waist circumference also dropped, by as much as 4.9 inches (12.5 cm) in ATTAIN-1 and 4.3 inches (11.0 cm) in ATTAIN-2 at 72 weeks [1][2][3]. Lilly noted that in ATTAIN-1, more than 3,100 people were randomized to receive Foundayo or placebo, while ATTAIN-2 randomized over 1,600 people with type 2 diabetes [1]. The menopause subgroup sizes varied widely, from 171 pre-menopausal women in ATTAIN-1 down to just 10 pre-menopausal women in ATTAIN-2, a small sample that limits how much weight that particular result can carry [1][2].
Why it matters for patients
Menopause is associated with hormonal shifts that can accelerate fat gain, especially around the abdomen, and make weight loss harder to sustain, according to a 2017 review cited by Lilly [1][2]. Despite affecting tens of millions of women in the United States, menopausal status has rarely been studied as a factor in how well obesity treatments work, per a 2023 North American Menopause Society position statement referenced in the release [1][2].
Rachel Batterham, a Lilly senior vice president, said in a statement that menopause
Sources
- https://investor.lilly.com/news-releases/news-release-details/lillys-foundayo-orforglipron-only-oral-glp-1-taken-without-food
- https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/lillys-foundayo-orforglipron-the-only-oral-glp-1-taken-without-food-or-water-restrictions-was-associated-with-significant-weight-loss-in-women-at-every-stage-of-menopause-302793332.html
- https://www.hcplive.com/view/orforglipron-delivers-significant-weight-loss-at-every-stage-of-menopause-in-phase-3-attain-trials
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