The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the first Wegovy-type weight-loss pill

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the first Wegovy-type weight-loss pill, manufactured by the Danish pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk, the BBC reports. This is the first drug of its class in tablet form to receive regulatory approval and is considered the beginning of a new era in the treatment of obesity.

Novo Nordisk states that the new once-daily pill is a more convenient alternative to the injectable form and provides the same effect regarding weight loss. Wegovy has already been approved by the FDA specifically for weight loss, unlike other similar medications such as Ozempic, which were originally intended for the treatment of type 2 diabetes but also have a side effect of weight reduction.

According to data from the company’s clinical trials, the tablet form of Wegovy led to an average weight loss of 16.6%. About one-third of the approximately 1,300 participants achieved a weight reduction of 20% or more.

The pill is expected to be launched on the US market in early January 2026.
“Patients will have a convenient, daily pill that can help them lose as much weight as the original Wegovy injection,” said Novo Nordisk CEO Lars Fruergaard Jørgensen.

The new product could provide a boost to the company’s sales after a difficult year, during which its shares fell amid warnings of lower profits and increased competition from other pharmaceutical companies, including Eli Lilly.

Following the announcement, Novo Nordisk shares rose by nearly 10% in after-hours trading in New York.

Source: BBC