Lilly highlights three Phase 3 studies for oral GLP-1 Foundayo, reporting stronger A1C control across ACHIEVE-2, -3 and -5

Eli Lilly is using the American Diabetes Association’s 86th Scientific Sessions this week to spotlight new late-stage results for Foundayo (orforglipron), its once-daily oral GLP-1 receptor agonist for diabetes care. In an ADA-sponsored symposium on Monday, June 8, 2026, Lilly said data from three Phase 3 trials in its ACHIEVE program showed “superior” blood-sugar control across different patient types and background therapies, and it highlighted weight loss most directly in a head-to-head study against oral semaglutide.

A1C, short for hemoglobin A1C, is a lab measure of average blood sugar over the prior two to three months. In ACHIEVE-2, which enrolled adults with type 2 diabetes inadequately controlled on metformin, Lilly reported that orforglipron reduced A1C by up to 1.7% at 40 weeks compared with 0.8% with the SGLT-2 inhibitor dapagliflozin. Lilly described both an “efficacy estimand” and a “treatment-regimen estimand” for the comparison, with the top-line message being that orforglipron outperformed the active comparator on the primary A1C endpoint.

In ACHIEVE-3, a 52-week, randomized open-label Phase 3 trial that compared orforglipron with oral semaglutide in people taking metformin, Lilly said orforglipron met the primary endpoint and was superior across key secondary measures. It reported that orforglipron lowered A1C by averages of 1.9% and 2.2% at doses of 12 mg and 36 mg, versus 1.1% and 1.4% for oral semaglutide doses of 7 mg and 14 mg, respectively, at week 52.

The company also put weight loss numbers at the center of the ACHIEVE-3 results. Lilly reported that participants on orforglipron lost an average of 14.6 pounds (6.7%) at the 12 mg dose and 19.7 pounds (9.2%) at the 36 mg dose, versus 7.9 pounds (3.7%) and 11.0 pounds (5.3%) with oral semaglutide, and it cited a 73.6% greater relative weight loss at the highest-dose comparison.

In ACHIEVE-5, a 40-week Phase 3 study evaluating orforglipron versus placebo in adults with type 2 diabetes whose glycemic control was inadequate on titrated insulin glargine, Lilly said orforglipron lowered A1C by up to 2.1% compared with 0.8% for placebo at 40 weeks. In Lilly’s description, the trial was designed to be superior on A1C and to test the molecule on top of basal insulin, with or without metformin and/or SGLT-2 inhibitors.

Lilly positions Foundayo (orforglipron) as the “only oral GLP-1 taken without food or water restrictions.” The company describes orforglipron as an investigational once-daily, small-molecule (non-peptide) GLP-1 therapy that can be taken at any time of day without specific restrictions around meals or water intake, and it said the oral approach could widen practical options for patients who struggle with injection-based regimens.

Lilly did not provide, in the June 8 ADA symposium release, numeric weight-loss results for ACHIEVE-2 and ACHIEVE-5. It said both trials delivered “significant” weight loss alongside A1C reductions, but the release’s detailed weight figures were not included there, and the specific endpoints Lilly used for weight in ACHIEVE-2 were not laid out in that ADA announcement.

Looking ahead, Lilly said additional ACHIEVE results are expected in early 2026 for ACHIEVE-4, which it described as the final global registration trial in the program. The company also said it plans regulatory submissions for orforglipron for type 2 diabetes in 2026, while obesity-related submission timing is on track to be earlier. For investors and clinicians watching oral incretins, the key next step is whether later presentations and publications continue to show consistent A1C and weight effects across comparators and insulin-using populations.