Wegovy pill: US FDA approval granted for oral version of weight loss drug - all you need to know

The US food and drug administration (FDA) has approved a daily pill version of Novo Nordisk’s weight-loss drug Wegovy, offering patients an oral alternative to injectable medicines that have reshaped obesity treatment.

The drug, branded simply as the Wegovy pill, contains semaglutide, the same active ingredient used in injectable Wegovy and diabetes medication Ozempic. Both drugs belong to the GLP-1 class, which mimics a hormone that regulates appetite, reported CNN.


Until now, these medicines - including rival treatments Zepbound and Mounjaro from Eli Lilly - have largely been administered as weekly injections.

Novo Nordisk said the pill demonstrated similar weight loss and side-effect profiles to the injectable version in clinical trials and will be available by prescription in the US from January.

“We believe it will expand access and options for patients,” Dr Jason Brett, principal US medical head for Novo Nordisk, told CNN. “We know there are some patients who just won’t take an injectable medication.”

The starting dose of the Wegovy pill will be priced at $149 for patients paying out of pocket, under an agreement announced in November with the Trump administration. Costs are expected to rise as dosages increase, though the company has not disclosed higher self-pay prices. Patients with insurance coverage are likely to face lower copays.

According to data from health policy research group KFF, about one in eight US adults currently uses a GLP-1 drug. In separate clinical studies, the Wegovy pill showed an average weight loss of 14 per cent over 64 weeks, compared with 2 per cent for placebo. Injectable Wegovy showed about 15 per cent weight loss in its key trial, while Lilly’s Zepbound reported up to 21% at its highest dose.

The pill is one of two oral GLP-1 drugs expected to enter the market soon. Lilly’s orforglipron, which can be taken without food or water restrictions, is expected to receive FDA clearance by summer.

By contrast, the Wegovy pill must be taken on an empty stomach with water, with no food, drink or other medicines for 30 minutes afterward - a factor doctors say has limited wider use of oral semaglutide for diabetes.

Gastrointestinal issues such as nausea and vomiting remain the most common side effects. About 7 per cent of participants in the Wegovy pill trial discontinued treatment due to side effects, compared with 6 per cent on placebo.

While welcoming more treatment choices, Dr Judith Korner, an endocrinologist at Columbia University, said cost, safety and effectiveness would guide prescribing decisions. “The Wegovy pill doesn’t seem to be moving the needle that much with regard to any of the above,” she told CNN.

Korner added that the broader benefits of GLP-1 drugs - including reduced cardiovascular risk, improved liver function and better outcomes in conditions such as sleep apnea - remain a key area of interest.