Novo Nordisk just brought a major product off the bench and into U.S. pharmacies: a once-daily Wegovy pill, the first oral GLP‑1 drug approved in the U.S. specifically for weight loss. The company said the semaglutide tablet is now broadly available, marking a new chapter in the GLP‑1 boom that’s already reshaping healthcare markets. Key details - Drug: Wegovy (oral semaglutide), once-daily pill - Availability: Now at major U.S. pharmacies (including CVS and Costco) and providers such as LifeMD and Weight Watchers - Price tiers: 1.5 mg starting at $149/month; a 4 mg dose priced at $149/month through April 15 (rising to $199 afterward); highest doses priced at $299/month - Efficacy: Clinical data cited by Novo Nordisk showed roughly 17% weight loss for patients who stayed on treatment Why it matters GLP‑1 medicines—originally developed for type‑2 diabetes—have exploded in demand after clinical trials showed they can drive sustained, significant weight loss by suppressing appetite and slowing gastric emptying. Until now, the category has been dominated by weekly injections like Wegovy and Ozempic (Novo Nordisk) and Zepbound and Mounjaro (Eli Lilly). Those injectables have frequently faced shortages and high out‑of‑pocket costs, sending patients and prescribers searching for alternatives. Oral pills can change the adoption dynamics. Some patients avoid injections because of needle aversion or trouble staying on long‑term regimens. A daily pill removes that hurdle and could accelerate uptake—potentially expanding the market and shifting competitive pressure across manufacturers and payers. Policy and pricing context The rollout arrives as GLP‑1s have become central to federal drug‑pricing discussions. In November, the White House unveiled a program (summarized on the TrumpRx landing page) that negotiated price cuts with manufacturers. Under those agreements, Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly committed to lower prices for certain GLP‑1 drugs sold through the program, dropping monthly costs for eligible patients from over $1,000 to the mid‑$300 range. Those deals also set a precedent for how oral GLP‑1s and future obesity treatments might be priced under federal purchasing programs. Novo Nordisk was clear to Decrypt that the White House agreements did not influence the FDA approval timetable: the OASIS‑4 trials that supported the decision wrapped up two years ago. Market implications For investors and market watchers, the oral Wegovy launch is a development to watch. Demand for obesity treatments has already attracted intense financial attention—Goldman Sachs projected in May 2025 that the global GLP‑1 market could hit $95 billion by 2030. An oral alternative that broadens patient access could accelerate that trajectory and reshape competitive dynamics among major drugmakers. “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,” said Ed Cinca, Novo Nordisk’s SVP of marketing and patient solutions. “For many of them, that wait is over as we can now offer the powerful efficacy of Wegovy in a once‑daily pill.” Bottom line: an FDA‑approved Wegovy pill is now available in the U.S., priced to compete across dose tiers and positioned to capture patients who prefer pills over injections—adding a new variable to an already fast‑moving GLP‑1 market. Read more AI-generated news on: undefined/news