Maryland: The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a pill version of the popular weight-loss drug Wegovy, pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk announced, marking a major milestone in obesity treatment.
The once-daily oral medication is the first weight-loss pill of its kind to receive FDA approval and is expected to offer patients a more convenient alternative to injectable therapies. Novo Nordisk said the pill delivers weight-loss results comparable to the Wegovy injection, which had already been approved specifically for weight management.
Wegovy is part of a class of drugs known as GLP-1 receptor agonists. Similar medications, such as Ozempic, have shown significant weight-loss effects but were initially approved for the treatment of Type 2 diabetes rather than obesity.
According to Novo Nordisk, clinical trials of the Wegovy pill showed an average weight loss of 16.6 percent. Around one-third of the nearly 1,300 participants in the trial achieved weight loss of 20 percent or more.
Mike Doustdar, chief executive of Novo Nordisk stated that, “Patients will have a convenient, once-daily pill that can help them lose as much weight as the original Wegovy injection.”
The company expects to launch the pill in the United States in early January 2026. The announcement comes at a critical time for Novo Nordisk, which has faced strong competition in the rapidly expanding weight-loss drug market, particularly from rival Eli Lilly. The company has also endured a challenging year, warning of declining profits and seeing its share price fall.
Following the approval news, Novo Nordisk’s shares rose by nearly 10 percent in after-hours trading in New York, reflecting investor optimism that the pill version of Wegovy could significantly boost sales and strengthen the company’s position in the global obesity treatment market.
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