The logo of pharmaceutical institution Novo Nordisk is displayed successful beforehand of its offices successful Bagsvaerd, connected the outskirts of Copenhagen, Nov. 24, 2025.
Tom Little | Reuters
Novo Nordisk volition commencement rolling retired the first-ever GLP-1 pill for value loss successful the U.S. connected Monday, the institution announced, marking a new section of obesity treatment successful the U.S.
The drug's currency prices are among the lowest connected the market, ranging from $149 to $299 per month, depending connected the dose. That fuels hopes that pills could assistance code the long-standing affordability hurdles tied to the play injections dominating the value nonaccomplishment cause market.
The authoritative motorboat of the oral drug, called the Wegovy pill, comes conscionable 2 weeks aft U.S. regulators cleared the treatment.
The starting dose of 1.5 milligrams is disposable astatine much than 70,000 U.S. pharmacies specified arsenic CVS and Costco, arsenic good arsenic prime telehealth providers, including Ro, LifeMD, Weight Watchers, GoodRx and Novo Nordisk's NovoCare Pharmacy. The higher, remaining doses of the pill volition beryllium disposable to patients by the extremity of the week, Novo Nordisk said.
Cash-paying patients tin wage $149 per period for the starting dose. The 4-milligram dose of the pill volition besides beryllium disposable for $149 per period done April 15, past $199 per period aft that.
The highest doses of the Wegovy pill – 9 milligrams and 25 milligrams – volition beryllium disposable for $299 per month. Patients with security sum for the cause tin wage arsenic small arsenic $25 per period for the treatment.
Cash-paying patients volition besides beryllium capable to entree the starting dose of the pill for $149 per period connected President Donald Trump's direct-to-consumer website, TrumpRx, nether a woody Novo Nordisk struck with his medication successful November. The tract besides launches successful January, though it's unclear when.
Novo Nordisk connected Monday said the pill's availability "opens caller possibilities" for the much than 100 cardinal Americans surviving with obesity.
Injections from Novo Nordisk and its main rival, Eli Lilly, transportation a database terms of astir $1,000 per month. But some companies offer little cash-pay prices for their shots that scope from $299 to $499 monthly, depending connected the dose.
Pills are the next battleground for the 2 companies, which established the booming GLP-1 abstraction that immoderate analysts accidental could beryllium worthy astir $100 cardinal by the 2030s. Goldman Sachs analysts said successful August that oral drugs could seizure a 24% stock — oregon astir $22 cardinal — of the 2030 planetary value nonaccomplishment cause market.
The motorboat of Novo Nordisk's regular oral cause connected Monday gives the institution a wide caput start. The Food and Drug Administration approved the attraction connected Dec. 22 and volition determine whether to wide a rival pill from Eli Lilly aboriginal this year.
The FDA besides approved Novo Nordisk's pill for usage to trim the hazard of large cardiovascular events, specified arsenic death, bosom onslaught oregon stroke, successful adults with obesity and established cardiovascular disease.
That's consistent with the support label of the company's blockbuster value nonaccomplishment cause Wegovy, which shares the aforesaid progressive ingredient, semaglutide. Both enactment by mimicking the gut hormone GLP-1 to suppress appetite.
"This infinitesimal is astir changing what's imaginable successful value management, and to marque that possible, we person worked to guarantee [the Wegovy pill] is affordable and accessible to those who request it, nevertheless they take to person their care," said Ed Cinca, Novo Nordisk's elder vice president of selling & diligent solutions, successful a release.
People who instrumentality Novo Nordisk's pill person to hold 30 minutes earlier eating oregon drinking each day.
In a signifier 3 proceedings that followed much than 300 adults with obesity, the highest dose of Novo Nordisk's oral semaglutide helped patients suffer up to 16.6% of their value connected mean aft 64 weeks. That value nonaccomplishment was 13.6% erstwhile the institution analyzed each patients careless of whether they stopped the drug.
The pill appears to beryllium somewhat much effectual than Eli Lilly's experimental oral drug, which does not person dietary restrictions.
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