Wegovy Diet Pills Now Available in the US – Here's What It Means
The first GLP-1 weight loss pills hit US pharmacies. But how will they be appointed?
Jakub Pozycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images
A tablet version of the popular weight-loss drug Wegovy is being released in the US, and people are already actively searching for prescriptions.
Tablets are produced Novo Nordiskthe company behind the injectable version of Wegovy and the injectable drug Ozempic, which are forms of semaglutide taken weekly. The US Food and Drug Administration has approved a pill to treat obesity. just a few weeks ago. If someone was prescribed it last Friday, they “could get it today,” a Novo Nordisk spokesperson said. Scientific American.
Experts say the tablet version of the sought-after drug, which falls under the category of drugs commonly known as Glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) receptor agonistscan significantly reduce access barriers. KFF Health News November 2025 Poll found that about half of people who were already taking GLP-1 medications, including those with insurance, reported difficulty obtaining these medications.
About supporting science journalism
If you enjoyed this article, please consider supporting our award-winning journalism. subscription. By purchasing a subscription, you help ensure a future of influential stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.
“There was availability serious, serious problem. And until recently, I had patients who had to pay huge copays,” says Samir Khan, a hepatologist at Johns Hopkins University who treats people with liver disease and obesity. “I think this is a pretty significant step in the right direction.”
The once-daily pill version of Wegovy makes people lose weight in the same way as weekly injections – mimicking a gut hormone that makes people feel full faster and eat less. Unlike injections, the tablet is absorbed through the stomach before entering the bloodstream, meaning a higher dose is needed to achieve comparable weight loss results. Novo Nordisk's phase 3 clinical trial revealed the highest dose of the drug – 25 milligrams. resulted in a 16.6 percent weight loss over an average of 64 weeks.; An earlier study found that the highest dose of Wegovy injections, 2.4 milligrams, produced an average weight loss of up to 17.4 percent at 68 weeks.
People prescribed the pills can expect their doses to increase. within a few months to allow the body to adjust and evaluate any side effects that may occur. Under the Trump administration's drug pricing agreement agreed to last year, Novo Nordisk listed a starting dose of 1.5 mg at $149 a month. For a limited time, the company is offering a second 4 mg dose for $149 per month, before increasing to $199 on April 15. Subsequent doses of 9 and 25 mg will cost $299 per month. But under some insurance plans, the pill can cost as little as $25 a month, according to a Novo Nordisk spokesperson.
Pills are easier to take, but also easier and cheaper to manufacture, transport and store. Veg injections should be refrigerated until use; If an injection pen is exposed to temperatures above 86 degrees Fahrenheit (30 degrees Celsius), it goes in the trash, Khan said. Despite these benefits, the pills don't cost much less than Wegovy injections, with doses costing $199 for the first two months and $349 per month thereafter.
“We were hoping that once we had oral medications, they would become cheaper than injectables, because part of the justification for the higher cost of injectables was the delivery method—the pen,” says Rosalina McCoy, an endocrinologist and internist at the University of Maryland. “While I am not surprised, I am disappointed that an oral treatment that does not have such a high cost will be [similar] price for patients.”
McCoy is also concerned that the relative ease of access to the pills could lead to an increase in their off-label use among non-obese people.
A Novo Nordisk spokesman said the FDA listed the tablets' approved uses. “Body mass index requirements are not included in the labeling of Wegovy tablets, and the decision to initiate treatment is made based on physician-consumer discussions and joint agreement,” they added.
Other options could soon hit the market, including the anticipated GLP-1 orphorglyprone from Eli Lilly's Zepbound maker, helping to further reduce overall drug costs.
“I'm hopeful that some competition in this market will help them potentially adjust these prices down the road,” Khan says, “but I think only time will tell.”
It's time to stand up for science
If you liked this article, I would like to ask for your support. Scientific American has been a champion of science and industry for 180 years, and now may be the most critical moment in that two-century history.
I was Scientific American I have been a subscriber since I was 12, and it has helped shape my view of the world. science always educates and delights me, instills a sense of awe in front of our vast and beautiful universe. I hope it does the same for you.
If you subscribe to Scientific Americanyou help ensure our coverage focuses on meaningful research and discovery; that we have the resources to report on decisions that threaten laboratories across the US; and that we support both aspiring and working scientists at a time when the value of science itself too often goes unrecognized.
In return you receive important news, fascinating podcastsbrilliant infographics, newsletters you can't missmust-watch videos challenging gamesand the world's best scientific articles and reporting. You can even give someone a subscription.
There has never been a more important time for us to stand up and show why science matters. I hope you will support us in this mission.
