American health regulators have given the green light to a daily tablet version of the blockbuster weight-loss medication Wegovy, marking a significant shift in obesity treatment. The oral drug, developed by Danish pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk, is expected to launch in the United States in January.
A Landmark Approval for Oral Obesity Treatment
This decision by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) represents the first time an oral medication has been specifically authorised to treat obesity. It provides a new option for millions, moving beyond the injectable treatments that have dominated the market in recent years.
Novo Nordisk confirmed to the Daily Mail that it is working towards bringing the pill to the UK, with a formal regulatory submission currently planned for 2026. A spokesperson for Novo Nordisk UK stated, 'Regarding the UK, we are working towards a submission for Wegovy in a pill in 2026,' though they noted further timeline details were not yet available.
How Effective is the Wegovy Pill?
The approval follows extensive clinical trials involving approximately 1,300 participants. The results were compelling: after just over a year, people taking the once-daily Wegovy pill lost an average of 16.6 per cent of their body weight. Notably, around one-third of participants achieved a weight loss of 20 per cent or more.
The tablet contains 25mg of semaglutide, the same active ingredient used in injectable Wegovy and the diabetes drug Ozempic. While Ozempic is licensed for type 2 diabetes and sometimes used off-label for weight management, Wegovy was developed and approved specifically for obesity.
'Patients will have a convenient, once-daily pill that can help them lose as much weight as the original Wegovy injection,' said Mike Doustdar, Novo Nordisk's chief executive.
Widening Access and a Competitive Edge
The development of pill-based GLP-1 drugs like this new Wegovy tablet could significantly broaden access to obesity treatment. Injectable versions such as Wegovy and Eli Lilly's Zepbound have sparked a global surge in demand but have been hampered by high costs, supply shortages, and the inconvenience of regular injections.
Experts suggest oral versions could be easier for patients to use and potentially cheaper to manufacture, though final pricing remains unconfirmed. This move also grants Novo Nordisk a competitive advantage over rival Eli Lilly, which is developing its own daily oral obesity pill, orforglipron, still under regulatory review.
In a parallel development, Europe's drug watchdog, the European Medicines Agency, has recommended widening access to powerful weight-loss injections for children. It has advised that the jab Mounjaro (tirzepatide) can be prescribed to children as young as ten with type 2 diabetes, a condition that elevates risks of heart disease, kidney failure, and stroke.
This recommendation follows a late-stage trial published in The Lancet, where children aged ten to 17 receiving the drug saw improved blood-sugar control and significant weight loss. Those on the highest dose shed an average of 11.2 per cent of their body mass within 30 weeks.
