Danish drugmaker launches new oral obesity treatment in U.S.
Latest news on WhatsApp أجدد الأخبار على واتسابDanish pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk has launched the oral version of its blockbuster weight-loss drug Wegovy in the United States, marking a major milestone in the rapidly expanding obesity-treatment market.
The company announced on Monday that the pill form of Wegovy, which belongs to the GLP-1 receptor agonist class, is now available to U.S. patients following regulatory approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in December 2025. The medication is taken once daily and uses the active ingredient semaglutide, already widely prescribed for type 2 diabetes and injectable weight-loss treatments.
Wegovy is the first oral GLP-1-based therapy approved specifically for weight management in the U.S. market, offering an alternative to weekly injections that have dominated the category in recent years.
According to the company and media reports, the self-pay starter dose of 1.5 mg is priced at $149 per month. The 4 mg dose is also priced at $149 during a promotional period running through April 15, 2026, after which it is expected to rise to $199 per month. Higher long-term doses of 9 mg and 25 mg will be offered at prices reaching up to $299 per month.
Novo Nordisk is betting that a once-daily oral option will lower barriers for patients who are reluctant to use injectable treatments, potentially expanding demand as obesity drugs become a central focus of modern metabolic care.
The launch comes amid intensifying competition in the sector, with U.S. rival Eli Lilly moving closer to regulatory decisions on its own oral GLP-1 weight-loss therapy.
Reports indicate that oral Wegovy is now available through U.S. pharmacies, digital health platforms, and telemedicine providers. Following the announcement, Novo Nordisk shares rose by around 5% in European trading, while Eli Lilly shares edged lower in U.S. market activity.
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Tahani Elghazaly5252 Posts
