Docs Who Lift From Injections to Pills: Breaking Down the New Oral GLP-1 Data
16 snips
Oct 23, 2025 Dr. Sean Wharton, a leading clinical trialist and PharmD, shares insights on the latest developments in oral GLP-1 therapies. He explains the intriguing 'snack molecule' concept that improves drug delivery and discusses the promising results of the OASIS-4 trial, showcasing significant weight loss. The conversation covers the differences between peptide and small-molecule GLP-1s and the future potential of orforglipron. They also highlight the importance of safety in new formulations and how these advances could democratize weight management.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Snack Molecule Enables Oral Peptide Absorption
- Oral semaglutide uses a “snack molecule” to protect the peptide and achieves 1–4% bioavailability into the bloodstream.
- A 25 mg pill delivers roughly the same active amount as an injectable dose by using higher API in the tablet.
Give Precise Dosing Instructions
- Instruct patients to take oral semaglutide in the morning with exactly four ounces of water and separate from food and other meds.
- Emphasize strict timing because small changes can reduce already low bioavailability.
Oral Semaglutide Nearly Matches Injectables
- Oasis‑4 showed ~13.6% weight loss (intention‑to‑treat) and ~16.6% on‑treatment at 64 weeks with oral semaglutide 25 mg.
- Those results approach injectable Wegovy efficacy while using a lower oral dose formulation.