Eli Lilly said on Thursday that its experimental GLP-1 pill helped patients lose 12.4% of their body weight in a late-stage study, but that was less than previous trial results for Novo Nordisk's injectable obesity treatment Wegovy,

Trials of a daily obesity pill have shown it can help patients lose around 12% of their body weight over 72 weeks. The manufacturer, Eli Lilly, says the drug, which is not yet licensed, could be available next year.

Eli Lilly & Co.’s experimental pill helped patients shed roughly 11% of their body weight, about 25 pounds, in a late-stage study that sets the stage for a new entrant to the obesity market next year.