Transformative arrival of oral weight loss medicines in the US

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Source: Pharmaceutical Technology

Original: https://www.pharmaceutical-technology.com/analyst-comment/transformative-arrival...

Published: Mon, 19 Jan 2026 14:38:01 +0000

Novo Nordisk has launched an oral form of Wegovy in the US as a daily pill for $149 per month for self-payers without insurance.[1] The pill expands access to obesity treatment for patients who refuse injections.[1] Manufacturing takes place in North Carolina, and the company has built up inventory to avoid outages like 2024.[1] The US FDA approved the Wegovy pill as the first oral version of GLP-1 for weight loss.[4][5] According to the company, the effectiveness of the pill is the same as the original injectable form.[3][5] The pill is now widely available in the US.[2] Injectable GLP-1 drugs cost over a thousand dollars a month in the US, while Wegovy's pill has a lower starting price.[6]