'Game changer' diabetes pill a step closer after trials

Game-changing diabetes pills could hit Australian shelves within years, offering an alternative to popular injectable treatments like Ozempic that have been plagued with supply issues.

That's the prediction from Australian diabetes experts, as the first phase three clinical trial data was released for a new type of medicine that lowers blood sugar.

Once-a-day pill Orforglipron was shown to imitate a naturally occurring hormone that helps regulate blood sugar and appetite, according to the study published in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine.

"It's really, really exciting," Australian Diabetes Society chief executive Associate Professor Sof Andrikopoulos told AAP.

"The reduction in blood glucose and weight with Orforglipron is similar, if not a little bit better, than the similar clinical trials that were done for Ozempic and Mounjaro."

The results of the trials, involving 500 adults with type 2 diabetes, were unveiled at the American Diabetes Association annual meeting in Chicago over the weekend.

Reported side effects were similar to existing medications like gastrointestinal issues, while the drug company did not flag any unexpected safety concerns.

The trial focused on diabetes treatment and not specifically weight loss.

Other oral diabetes medications already exist but this medication is significant as it's the first synthetic treatment to reach phase three trials, Prof Andrikopoulos said.

He expected approval from the Therapeutic Goods Administration would be "reasonable straightforward" once it receives an application by drug developer Eli Lilly, which also makes Mounjaro.

The synthetic chemical is easier to make than other drugs involving modified peptides and doesn't need to be refrigerated, hoping it would be cheaper and easier to transport to remote areas than injectable treatments.

"These are potentially disease modifying therapies, and in that respect it's a game-changer," Prof Andrikopoulos said.

"In terms of managing types of diabetes and obesity, I think we are at the cusp of being able to make a significant impact on reducing obesity in Australia and around the world."

Sydney-based Endocrinologist Associate Professor Ted Wu treats many patients with diabetes and said physicians had been "crying out" for oral alternatives to incretin injections.

While optimistic about the findings, he cautioned it was not a "head to head" trial measuring the effectiveness of Orforglipron against injections but said it appears the results were very similar.

"As it stands, this looks like it offers all the advantages of the current incretin injections, but with all the advantages of an oral once-a-day medication and hopefully with far fewer supply issues," he said.

Prof Wu said looking at past performance, the TGA would probably take between 12 and 24 months to approve the new drug.