New analyses from the Phase 3 ATTAIN-1 trial suggest that Eli Lilly’s oral GLP-1 medicine Foundayo could lower predicted long-term risks of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, marking a potential breakthrough in obesity and cardiometabolic treatment.
Eli Lilly’s oral GLP-1 medicine Foundayo, also known as orforglipron, has been linked to lower predicted long-term risks of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease in new analyses from the Phase 3 ATTAIN-1 trial, according to findings published in Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism. The analysis focused on adults with overweight or obesity who also had at least one weight-related medical condition, adding to a growing body of evidence that the drug may influence more than body weight alone.
At 72 weeks, participants taking 5.5 mg, 9 mg and 17.2 mg doses were estimated to have 45%, 50% and 57% lower 10-year risk of developing type 2 diabetes than those given placebo. The highest dose was also associated with an estimated 18% reduction in predicted 10-year cardiovascular disease risk. Lilly said the results build on earlier trial data showing that the treatment can reduce weight and improve several cardiometabolic markers, including blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol.
The findings were based on risk models rather than direct measurements of future disease prevention. Researchers used the Cardiometabolic Disease Staging engine to estimate diabetes risk and a BMI-based Framingham model to estimate cardiovascular risk, meaning the results point to predicted rather than proven reductions in disease rates. That distinction matters: the analysis suggests a potential longer-term benefit, but it does not show that the medicine directly prevented diabetes or heart attacks.
Foundayo is a once-daily oral GLP-1 receptor agonist, and Lilly has promoted it as the only pill in its class that can be taken without food or water restrictions. The US Food and Drug Administration approved the treatment in April 2026 for adults with obesity, or for certain adults with overweight and weight-related medical problems. In the wider ATTAIN-1 programme, which enrolled 3,127 people across countries including the US, China, India, Japan, South Korea and Spain, earlier reporting by Lilly and the American College of Cardiology noted that the medicine produced meaningful weight loss and improvements in cardiometabolic risk factors.
Lilly is also studying orforglipron in other settings, including type 2 diabetes, obstructive sleep apnoea, hypertension, peripheral artery disease and osteoarthritis knee pain. The company has said the latest ATTAIN-1 analyses support the idea that treating obesity with Foundayo could bring health gains beyond weight loss, although larger and longer studies will be needed to determine whether those predicted benefits translate into fewer real-world diabetes and cardiovascular events.
Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
