A large international study found that an experimental oral diabetes medication produced significant improvements in both glucose control and weight loss.
For millions of people with type 2 diabetes, GLP-1 drugs have transformed treatment by helping lower blood sugar while also promoting weight loss. But many of the most effective options still require injections, creating a barrier for some patients. New research suggests that may be starting to change.
At the American Diabetes Association’s Scientific Sessions, researchers presented results from SOLSTICE, a Phase 2b clinical trial evaluating elecoglipron, an experimental oral GLP-1 receptor agonist. The study found that the once-daily pill significantly improved blood sugar control and reduced body weight in people with type 2 diabetes. The findings were published simultaneously in The Lancet.
If future studies confirm these results, oral medications like elecoglipron could help broaden access to a class of drugs that has become one of the most important advances in diabetes treatment over the past decade.
Expanding the Potential of Oral GLP-1 Therapies
GLP-1 receptor agonists mimic a naturally occurring hormone that helps regulate blood sugar, slows stomach emptying, and reduces appetite. The medications have become increasingly popular because they address two major challenges in type 2 diabetes at the same time: controlling glucose levels and managing excess weight.
Yet despite their effectiveness, most GLP-1 therapies are delivered by injection. Oral versions have proven more difficult to develop because the digestive system can break down many drug compounds before they are absorbed into the bloodstream.
“Our study’s findings underscore the expanding potential of oral GLP-1 receptor agonists for people with type 2 diabetes,” said Aroda, who is the Director of Diabetes Clinical Research in the Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes & Hypertension in the Mass General Brigham Department of Medicine. “To date, GLP-1 therapies have largely been limited to injectable or oral peptide formulations, each with inherent delivery and dosing constraints. Rigorous clinical trials like SOLSTICE can help us evaluate oral medications that may be just as effective for patients with diabetes while overcoming these limitations.”
Current oral options also come with restrictions. Oral semaglutide, for example, must be taken on an empty stomach and requires patients to avoid food and water for 30 minutes afterward. Researchers hope newer oral therapies can offer greater convenience while maintaining the benefits seen with injectable drugs.
International Trial Shows Significant Improvements.
Sponsored by AstraZeneca, the SOLSTICE trial enrolled 406 adults with type 2 diabetes across nine countries, including the United States. Participants were randomly assigned to different treatment groups and received varying starting doses, dose escalation schedules, and maintenance doses.
After 26 weeks, elecoglipron outperformed placebo across all tested dose levels.
Up to 89.6% of participants receiving the medication achieved an HbA1c level of 7%, a widely used target for diabetes management that reflects average blood sugar levels over roughly three months. By comparison, only 24.9% of participants in the placebo group reached that goal.
The drug also produced notable weight loss. Depending on the dose, as many as 72.3% of participants lost at least 5% of their body weight, compared with 20.2% of those receiving placebo.
Researchers reported that the drug’s safety and tolerability profile was generally consistent with what has been observed for other GLP-1 medications at a similar stage of development.
Additional Advances in Diabetes Treatment
Aroda is also the principal investigator of REIMAGINE 1, a randomized controlled trial evaluating CagriSema, a combination therapy that pairs the amylin receptor agonist cagrilintide with injectable semaglutide.
Results from that study, also presented at the ADA meeting and published in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology, showed that up to 87% of participants achieved an HbA1c level of 7%.
“At the center of every one of our clinical trials is the goal of improving outcomes for patients,” said Aroda. “The studies being presented at this year’s meeting highlight how essential carefully designed trials are for evaluating new therapies, refining existing approaches, and ensuring that advances in science translate into safer, more effective care for people living with diabetes.”
Reference: “Elecoglipron, an oral small molecule GLP-1 receptor agonist in adults with type 2 diabetes (SOLSTICE): a multicentre, phase 2b, randomised, placebo-controlled trial” by Vanita R Aroda, Melanie J Davies, Jill Maaske, Marcus Millegård, Víctor López Juan, Jens Aberle, Andreea Ciudin, Rory J McCrimmon, Olof Eklund, Judy L Shih, Mikaela Sjostrand, Donna Zarzuela and Julio Rosenstock, 8 June 2026, The Lancet.
DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(26)00802-0
Funding: AstraZeneca
Disclosures: Aroda declares institutional contracts from Amgen, Applied Therapeutics, AstraZeneca, Biomea, Boehringer Ingelheim, Corcept, Eli Lilly, Fractyl, Kailera, Novo Nordisk, Pfizer, Recordati, Rhythm and Servier; and consulting fees from Baim Institute for Clinical Research, Mediflix, Sanofi, and Roche. Additional author disclosures can be found in The Lancet.
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