Patients on the new pill also lost weight — up to 16 pounds without reaching a plateau at the study’s end. Side effects were the same as those with the injectable obesity drugs.

Eli Lilly's experimental pill worked as well as blockbuster drug Ozempic to lower weight and blood sugar in a trial of diabetes patients, and the company said it expects to seek regulatory approvals by the end of the year.

Eli Lilly reported promising results from a study of its experimental oral drug that could rival popular injections to treat obesity and diabetes.