US regulator approves first oral version of weight loss drug Wegovy

In a breakthrough for obesity treatment, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a pill version of Wegovy, one of the most widely used weight-loss drugs in the world.

The approval was announced by Danish pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk, which said the new tablet is the first of its kind to receive regulatory clearance for weight loss in the US.

Until now, Wegovy has been available only as a weekly injection, a method that many patients find uncomfortable or difficult to follow long term. The newly approved pill is taken once daily and is expected to provide similar weight-loss benefits, making treatment more accessible to a wider group of patients.

According to Novo Nordisk, clinical trials showed that people taking the Wegovy pill lost an average of 16.6% of their body weight. About one-third of the 1,300 participants in the study achieved weight loss of 20% or more.

These results are comparable to those seen with the injectable form of the drug, the company said.

Wegovy belongs to a class of medicines known as



GLP-1 drugs, which work by reducing appetite and helping people feel full for longer.

While similar drugs such as Ozempic have also been linked to weight loss, they were originally approved to treat Type 2 diabetes. Wegovy, however, received FDA approval specifically for weight management.

Novo Nordisk said the pill version will be launched in the US in early January 2026. Pricing and insurance coverage details have not yet been disclosed, but experts say affordability will be key to how widely the drug is adopted.

The approval comes at an important time for Novo Nordisk, which has faced strong competition from rival drugmakers, including Eli Lilly, in the fast-growing weight-loss market. The news was welcomed by investors, with the company’s shares rising by nearly 10% in after-hours trading in New York.

Health experts believe the pill could change the way obesity is treated, especially for patients who avoid injections. With obesity rates continuing to rise globally, the approval of an effective oral weight-loss drug is being seen as a significant step forward.