US oral GLP-1 first as Novo Nordisk launches Wegovy pill

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Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy (semaglutide) has become the first oral glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist to be available in the US for weight management.

The pharma company’s launch this week of an oral formulation of its blockbuster weight loss drug could now allow it to steal a march on expected competition from rival Lilly.

Ed Cinca, senior vice president, Marketing & Patient Solutions at Novo Nordisk, said: “Wegovy pill is here, and it represents a significant innovation as the first and only GLP-1 pill for weight loss. This moment is about changing what’s possible in weight management.”

The Wegovy pill has a US licence for once-daily use of a 25mg dose to reduce excess body weight, maintain weight reduction long-term and to reduce the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events.

It is intended to be used in conjunction with a reduced calorie diet and increased physical activity for adults with obesity or who are overweight and also have weight-related medical problems.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) licensed Wegovy towards the end of December on the back of results from the OASIS 4 trial that showed the 25mg dose led to a mean weight loss of 16.6 percent.

That shows people taking the pill achieved a similar level of weight loss to injectable Wegovy, according to Novo, which added that one in three people on the oral formulation in OASIS 4 experienced 20 percent or more weight loss.

Novo said it is making the 1.5mg starting dose of its Wegovy pill available for $149 per month for self-pay patients, the 4 mg dose will also be available for $149 per month until 15 April and then rises to a monthly $199, and the highest doses of Wegovy pill will be available for $299.

In addition to pharmacies such as CVS and Costco, the drug will also be available a broad range of telehealth providers including Ro, LifeMD and Weight Watchers, Pharmacy and GoodRx, as well as the company’s own NovoCare platform.

Novo Nordisk submitted oral semaglutide 25 mg once-daily for obesity to the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and other regulatory authorities for approval during the second half of 2025.

Meanwhile, Novo’s rival Lilly has been preparing the ground for its late-stage oral GLP-1 candidate orforglipron, boosting its US and European manufacturing capabilities for the drug.

Meanwhile, competition from oral GLP-1s at earlier stages of development could come from Pfizer through its $10 billion Metsera acquisition last year and from AstraZeneca.