Wildly Popular Weight Loss Drug Is Available as a Pill for 1st Time
Wegovy has announced that it has developed a pill version of the wildly popular weight loss drug.
The Wegovy website was touting the pill on January 5. "The first and only FDA-approved GLP-1 pill to help adults with obesity lose weight and keep it off along with diet and exercise," it reads.
"Wegovy (semaglutide) injection 1.7 mg or 2.4 mg and Wegovy (semaglutide) tablets 25 mg are prescription medicines used with a reduced calorie diet and increased physical activity," the site says, suggesting possible benefits like a reduction in stroke and heart attack risk. The website also lists possible side effects, including the possibility of cancer and thyroid tumors.
"This advancement opens new possibilities for the more than 100 million Americans living with obesity," Wegovy announced in a press release. "Wegovy pill was approved on December 22, 2025, and is used with a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity for adults with obesity, or with overweight who also have weight-related medical problems, to help them lose weight and keep it off."
"We know there are people who are interested in addressing their weight but have been waiting on the sidelines for a medicine that was right for them. For many of them, that wait is over as we can now offer the powerful efficacy of Wegovy in a once-daily pill that demonstrated about 17% weight loss, if all patients stayed on treatment," said Ed Cinca, senior vice president, Marketing & Patient Solutions at Novo Nordisk.
How Much Does the New Wegovy Weight Loss Pill Cost?
(Photo by: Michael Siluk/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
The pill is meant to be taken once daily, the website says. What is the cost? "Commercially covered eligible patients pay as little as $25 for a 1-month supply," the website says.
The company adds: "Pay $149 for each month of 1.5 mg and 4 mg. 4 mg offer available
until April 15, 2026, then $199 per month for 4 mg."
According to CNN, the pill form, which requires a prescription, "generally costs less than the weekly injection for self-pay patients willing to buy directly from Novo Nordisk and forgo insurance." The pill form is for a "starter dose," CNN reported.
The price goes up as the dosage increases, according to CNN, which noted that the 9 mg and 25 mg doses cost $299 a month. The starter dose is 1.5 mg.
How much do the injections cost? "The injectable version carries a $349 monthly price tag for self-pay consumers," CNN reported.
The company claims that "28% of adults taking Wegovy pill lost 20% or more of their weight compared with 3% of adults on placebo."
Wegovy suggests: "Take one pill by mouth with water (4 oz max) and not with other liquids. Don’t crush, cut, chew, or dissolve the pill."
Where can you find the Wegovy pill? According to CNN, the pill is available "in pharmacies, certain telehealth providers, NovoCare Pharmacy." The pill's cost could be a game changer for people trying to lose weight who could not previously afford the steep cost of injections, unless they had insurance.
The Guardian noted that the introduction of the pill was "accelerating a price war in the sector." The site described the Wegovy pill as "the first and only pill on the market that imitates the GLP-1 hormone to reduce appetite."