The Wegovy pill was launched on Monday, and the initial dose is now available in pharmacies across the country, with higher doses arriving by the end of the week.
The Food and Drug Administration approved the pill for obesity on December 22. It is also approved to reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke in obese or overweight patients.
The pill follows the resounding success of the Novo Nordisk Wegovy injection, which has been on the market since 2021 and became so popular that it was in shortage until February 2025.
The pill version of the drug helped patients lose about as much weight as the injection. In a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, a 25-milligram Wegovy pill led to an average 13.6% weight reduction over 64 weeks. Patients who took placebo in the study lost 2.2% of their weight. For patients who remained in the treatment, reduced calorie intake, and exercised, Novo Nordisk estimates they would have a 16.6% reduction in their weight.
However, patients need to take the Wegovy pill on an empty stomach and wait half an hour before eating anything else for the drug to be properly absorbed. The most common side effects with the Wegovy pill are similar to those of the injection and include nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting.
When Novo Nordisk announced its drug pricing agreement with the Trump administration in November, it promised to make the obesity pill available for US$ 149 per month for patients who do not use their health insurance. However, that is only the initial dose for the direct-to-consumer price. Higher doses will be available for US$ 299 per month.
The list price that affects insurance coverage is the same as the Wegovy injection: US$ 1.349 per month.
Insurance coverage for obesity drugs became more restrictive in 2025, according to an analysis by GoodRx, a site that helps patients find discounts on prescription drugs. But Novo Nordisk says that patients with insurance coverage can get the Wegovy pill for just US$ 25 per month.
Although the Wegovy pill is the first of its kind to receive FDA approval, Novo Nordisk’s type 2 diabetes pill, Rybelsus, is already on the market. It contains the same active ingredient, semaglutide, but the doses are different.
Eli Lilly, which makes the Zepbound injection, applied to the FDA at the end of 2025 for approval of its competing obesity pill. The agency granted the company a priority review voucher, and a decision could come early this year.
Source: npr.org by Sydney Lupkin