In a major development for obesity treatment, pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk has launched the first oral GLP-1 medication for weight loss in the United States, offering patients a daily pill alternative to injectable drugs like Wegovy and Ozempic.

Rolled out on Monday, the oral version of Wegovy marks a significant shift in how GLP-1 therapies are delivered. The company says the pill is aimed at people who want the benefits of GLP-1 drugs without injections and could also help ease the supply shortages that have plagued injectable weight-loss treatments in recent years.

Doctors across the US can now prescribe the pill, which is available at more than 70,000 pharmacies nationwide as well as through mail-order services. Major retailers such as CVS and Costco are stocking the drug, alongside telehealth platforms partnered with Novo Nordisk and the company’s own direct-to-consumer service.

The medication is taken once a day. For patients paying out of pocket, the starter dose is priced at $150 per month, while the highest dose—associated with the most significant weight loss—will cost $300 per month and is expected to be available by the end of the week. Novo Nordisk said patients with employer-based insurance coverage could pay as little as $25 per month.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the pill last month for the treatment of obesity and for reducing cardiovascular risk. Like injectable Wegovy and Ozempic, the pill contains semaglutide, a GLP-1 receptor agonist that helps regulate appetite, blood sugar and metabolism.

Novo Nordisk executives say the company has been preparing for this launch for years. Production is underway at the firm’s manufacturing hub in Clayton, North Carolina, where a $4 billion expansion is currently in progress to support growing demand.

“We are launching the Wegovy pill in a way that we’ve never launched before,” David Moore, executive vice president of US operations at Novo Nordisk, told The Washington Post. “We have the benefit now of living through multiple launches of our GLP-1s, so we’re prepared, we’re ready to go.”

Supply constraints have been a persistent challenge for injectable GLP-1 drugs. For more than two years, shortages prompted the FDA to allow compounding pharmacies to produce off-brand versions of Ozempic and Wegovy, affecting both availability and sales. Novo Nordisk hopes the oral pill will strengthen its position against rival Eli Lilly, which has seen strong uptake of its injectable weight-loss drug Zepbound and is pursuing approval for its own GLP-1 pill.

Clinical trial data suggest the pill delivers weight-loss results comparable to injections. Participants taking the highest dose lost about 14 per cent of their body weight over 64 weeks, with Novo Nordisk estimating weight loss could reach around 17 per cent with continued treatment—similar to injectable Wegovy.

Company officials believe the pill could attract a new group of patients who were hesitant to start GLP-1 therapy due to a fear or dislike of injections.

“Maybe it was that they just didn’t see themselves treating their disease with an injection,” Moore said.

With the launch of the oral Wegovy, Novo Nordisk is betting that convenience and accessibility will help broaden the reach of GLP-1 therapies, potentially reshaping the future of weight-loss treatment.