Novo Nordisk Launches Wegovy Pill for Weight Management

Novo Nordisk has made available the Wegovy pill in the United States, marking the first time a GLP-1 medicine for weight management is offered in an oral, once-daily formulation. The approval, granted by the US Food and Drug Administration on Dec. 22, 2025, expands treatment options for adults living with obesity or overweight with related medical conditions and underscores the company’s focus on broadening access to evidence-based therapies.

“Our ambition is to lead in diabetes and obesity, and to drive market expansion and create value for both patients and our shareholders,” writes Maziar Mike, President and CEO, Novo Nordisk, on LinkedIn.

Wegovy pill is indicated for use alongside a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity to support weight loss and long-term weight management. The approval is based on results from the OASIS 4 phase 3 clinical trial, a 64-week study involving 307 adults with obesity or overweight and at least one weight-related comorbidity, excluding diabetes. Trial data showed that participants taking Wegovy pills achieved an average weight loss of about 14% compared with 2.4% for placebo, regardless of treatment continuation. When all patients remained on therapy, average weight loss reached about 17%, compared with roughly 2.7% for placebo.

According to Novo Nordisk, the Wegovy pill demonstrated a magnitude of weight loss that has not been matched by other oral GLP-1 obesity candidates in phase 3 trials. The most common adverse reactions reported in OASIS 4 were consistent with the known safety profile of injectable semaglutide, including nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting.

Ed Cinca, Senior Vice President of Marketing and Patient Solutions, Novo Nordisk, says the oral formulation addresses unmet demand among people who have delayed treatment while waiting for an option aligned with their preferences. He adds that the company has worked to make the product affordable and accessible through multiple care channels.

The Wegovy pill is available in the United States in 1.5mg, 4mg, 9mg, and 25mg doses. Novo Nordisk has also introduced pricing and savings programs aimed at self-pay and commercially insured patients, with monthly costs varying by dose and insurance status.

In addition to weight management, the Wegovy pill is indicated to reduce the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events, such as heart attack or stroke, in adults with overweight or obesity and established cardiovascular disease, says the company. Novo Nordisk adds that its Wegovy pill has been approved only in the United States and has not yet been authorized in other markets, including Mexico, where the company recently announced the appointment of Patricia Field as General Manager.

The launch adds to Novo Nordisk’s broader obesity portfolio, which includes injectable Wegovy formulations that have been prescribed by millions of patients since 2021. Novo Nordisk, headquartered in Denmark, operates in around 80 countries and maintains a longstanding presence in North America. The company has not provided a timeline for regulatory submissions outside the United States for the Wegovy pill.

In 2024, more than 1 billion people worldwide were living with obesity, including 880 million adults and 159 million children and adolescents, according to the World Obesity Federation. In Mexico, the condition continues to represent a major public health challenge. A study analyzing data from the National Health and Nutrition Survey (ENSANUT) Continua 2020-2023 reveals that 37.1% of Mexican adults are obese. 

The growing number of people living with obesity has intensified the demand for new treatment options. GLP-1 receptor agonists, originally created for Type 2 diabetes, have demonstrated significant weight-loss effects and reshaped the field of obesity care, prompting increased investment and research in this area. 

This momentum has intensified competition among pharmaceutical companies aiming to expand their presence in the fast-growing obesity and cardiometabolic market. One example is Eli Lilly’s orforglipron, an investigational once-daily oral GLP-1 receptor agonist being studied for the treatment of type 2 diabetes and obesity. Designed to lower blood glucose levels and support weight loss, the drug is administered in pill form and, in clinical trials, was taken once daily without restrictions related to food or water.

“The company is exploring alternative methods of administering GLP-1 medications beyond injectables, with the goal of achieving scalable production to reach a wider population,” says Karla Alcazar, President and General Manager, Lilly Latin America, during Mexico Health Summit 2025.

Eli Lilly reached a US$1 trillion market value in 2025 , becoming the first pharmaceutical company to join a group largely occupied by technology firms. The milestone reflects sustained investor confidence in the company’s position in the fast-growing obesity-drug market and its broader pipeline strategy, reports MBN.

The company’s valuation has accelerated in recent years as demand for new weight-management therapies expands, reports El Economista. Lilly’s obesity portfolio has driven a significant portion of this momentum, supported by clinical results and market adoption across several segments. The company is also advancing additional metabolic treatments that are expected to shape its performance in the near term.

For Lilly, Mexico represents one of the most crucial countries in the region, as it accounts for 80% of its Latin America business along with Brazil, explains Alcázar to MBN. “We aim to achieve double-digit growth and launch two innovative products per year. The company's commitment in Mexico is substantial, not only at the regional level but also on a global scale. In some therapeutic areas, Mexico ranks in Eli Lilly’s Top 10 worldwide,” says Alcázar. 

In Mexico, excess weight affects a substantial share of the adult population, with 37.3% classified as overweight and 38.9% living with obesity, reports the National Institute of Public Health. Obesity prevalence is 13.2 percentage points higher among women than men, while overweight prevalence is 13.7 percentage points higher among men than women.

According to the 2023 ENSANUT Continua, obesity prevalence is higher in rural areas, at 40.2%, compared with 38.6% in urban localities. Among adolescents aged 12 to 19, overweight and obesity together affect 38.1% of the population.