Sept. 23, 2025
Soon, there may be a promising alternative for the needle-averse, as results of a recent Phase 3 trial confirmed that a daily 25-milligram semaglutide pill can trigger significant weight loss.
“We all knew this was coming, and we all feel that it could potentially be a game changer in terms of adopting these GLP-1s across the board,” Dr. Armando Castro-Tie — a senior vice president and physician executive at Northwell Health, who was not involved in this research — told The New York Post. The authors of the research — funded by Ozempic and Wegovy makers Novo Nordisk — noted that injectable semaglutide, while effective, is a hard sell to people scared of needles.
“I would imagine that manufacturers would anticipate the demand and ramp up production accordingly,” he added. “But there’s no question that access is going to be magnified multiple times over just because of the ease of use of this oral form.” Plus, the need for refrigeration limits where and to whom the drug can be delivered.
In the study, overweight or obese participants across four countries were given either a semaglutide pill or a placebo alongside diet and exercise counseling. GLP-1 drugs like semaglutide mimic a hormone the body naturally produces after eating, making users feel fuller for longer.
The 205 participants who took the daily semaglutide pill lost an average of 13.6% of their body weight over 64 weeks, compared to 102 placebo participants who shed 2.2%. The findings were published last week in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Novo Nordisk is seeking regulatory approval for this pill to treat obesity. A decision by the Food and Drug Administration is expected by the end of the year. If approved, the oral tablets could be made available sometime in 2026.
LEARN MORE About The Market for Medical Weight Loss Programs
Marketdata LLC has published anew 154-page analysis of the U.S. weight loss market, entitled: “The U.S. Medical Weight Loss Market: The Impact of GLP-1 Drugs on Doctors, Hospitals, Clinics and Franchises”, February 2025. This report presents a complete picture of the medical weight loss market in the United States, with the inter-relationships between competing MDs, clinics, surgeons, commercial weight loss companies and pharmaceutical firms.
At no other time in the U.S. weight loss market history has one product so dominated the market as have the new GLP-1 weight loss drugs. American dieters have flocked to them, shunning commercial weight loss programs such as Weight Watchers, Medifast, as well as retail and MLM meal replacements.
Demand soared in 2023 and 2024 for Ozempic, Wegovy, Saxenda, Mounjaro and Zepbound — with more new drugs coming in the next few years.
The booming market for GLP-1 drugs has attracted physicians, nurses, dieticians, telemedicine services, medical weight loss franchises, compounding pharmacies, and entrepreneurs – all looking to cash in. However, the party may soon be over for the compounders, as the FDA declared and end to the shortage of the major drugs.
Some Report Findings:
- The value of the U.S. medical weight loss market is estimated to have more than tripled since 2019, to $33.8 billion in 2024. Average annual growth of 12% is forecast through 2028.
- The prescription obesity drugs market soared from $5.0 billion in 2022 to $26.4 billion by 2024, due to the high demand for new GLP-1 drugs. More than 8% of Americans are now estimated to be using them.
- The number of weight loss surgeries has declined 25% since 2022, to 211,000 procedures, as Americans opted for the new drugs instead. This market segment is worth $5.29 billion.
- Hospitals have had a mixed record with weight loss programs. Only 29% of the nation’s hospitals (about 1,400) provide some form of weight loss program – surgery or a non-surgical program.
- Medical weight loss programs represented 11.7% of the total U.S. weight loss market in 2022, but this share is forecast to triple to 36% by 2028.
- Prescription weight loss drugs have stolen major market share from commercial weight loss companies, the meal replacements market, health clubs, the bariatric surgery market, and more.
- The top 11 medical weight loss franchises and regional chains are estimated to generate $264 million in system-wide sales annually. Most franchises are not growing.
Purchase This Report
The report may be purchased at the Marketdata website’s store. Price: $1,495. Or call: 813-971-8080. Table of Contents available, see home page, link for Diet Market – Our Specialty.