A new oral GLP-1 medication has delivered encouraging results in a Phase 2b clinical trial for people living with type 2 diabetes.According to AstraZeneca, its experimental tablet, elecoglipron, significantly lowered blood sugar levels and helped participants lose an average of 10.5% of their body weight after 26 weeks of treatment.The findings were presented at the 2026 American Diabetes Association Scientific Sessions in New Orleans and published in The Lancet on June 8.Elecoglipron joins a growing wave of GLP-1 therapies being developed as pills, offering an alternative to injectable drugs such as Ozempic, Wegovy, Zepbound, and Mounjaro.The first oral GLP-1 treatment, Rybelsus from Novo Nordisk, received FDA approval in 2019 for adults with type 2 diabetes. Since then, oral options have continued to expand. In December 2025, the FDA approved a tablet version of Wegovy for weight management, while Eli Lilly’s oral obesity treatment, Foundayo, gained approval in April.Independent experts say AstraZeneca’s results highlight the growing potential of non-injectable GLP-1 therapies for both diabetes and obesity treatment.“It’s encouraging to see another oral medication demonstrating the benefits of GLP-1 therapy without requiring injections,” said Dr. Pouya Shafipour, a family and obesity medicine specialist at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in California.Dr. Marilyn Tan, an endocrinologist and professor of medicine at Stanford University, noted that the rapidly expanding GLP-1 market could soon welcome another oral treatment option if elecoglipron succeeds in Phase 3 trials and ultimately secures FDA approval. How Does GLP-1 Drug Work?GLP-1 is a natural hormone produced in the intestines that regulates blood sugar, appetite, and digestion. Now, every time you eat, your body produces various hormones, including GLP-1. These are called post-nutrition hormones, and they help you absorb the energy you just consumed.GLP-1 travels to your pancreas, prompting it to produce insulin. It also travels to the hypothalamus in your brain, which gives you the feeling of being full or satiated. GLP-1 pills imitate that hormone, thereby silencing the food chatter in the brain. Interestingly, for some people, this food chatter is really quiet, and for others it is an outburst. So with GLP-1, silencing this self-talk in the brain, people tend to lose their appetite and eventually weight.However, it is important to note that losing weight includes not just fat but muscle as well. Losing too much muscle can lead to reduced strength and a shorter life span. Notably, records show that most people who start taking them stop them at 12 weeks; therefore, it is important for some but not for others.What Are The Side Effects?The side effects of these pills include:Nausea is a frequent side effect, especially when starting or increasing the dose, and vomiting may occur along with nausea.Diarrhoea and abdominal discomfort also show up.It can reduce appetite but may also lead to unintended weight loss or reduced food intake, causing discomfort for some people.There are certain less common, but serious side effects, like Pancreatitis, or inflammation of the pancreas.This drug may also cause severe kidney issues, particularly if dehydration occurs from side effects like vomiting or diarrhoea.