Dec. 22, 2025
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Dec. 22 approved a pill version of Novo Nordisk’s weight-loss drug Wegovy, the first daily oral medication for obesity treatment. The once-daily tablet — called the Wegovy pill — is the “first and only” oral GLP-1 medicine, or glucagon-like peptide-1, receptor agonists, according to Novo Nordisk.
“Wegovy pill is the next chapter in our decades-long GLP-1 experience—supported by the most affordable self-pay price to date in a GLP-1 for obesity,” Dave Moore, executive vice president of U.S. Operations at Novo Nordisk, said in a statement. “We are prepared for a full US launch in early January 2026, with manufacturing well underway in our North Carolina facilities.”
The pill is 25 milligrams of semaglutide, the same active ingredient in injectable Wegovy and Ozempic. Novo Nordisk already sells an oral semaglutide for type 2 diabetes, Rybelsus.
Rival Eli Lilly has oral medication still under review and could be approved as soon as late March.
The company noted that the pill is used with a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity for adults with obesity or who are overweight. The pill also needs to be taken in the morning on an empty stomach, 30 minutes before eating, drinking or using any other oral medication. The 1.5-milligram starting dose of the pill will be available in early January, Novo Nordisk said.
Market analysts feel that the new pills will not displace or replace the injections.
LEARN MORE About The Market for Medical Weight Loss Programs
Marketdata LLC has published a 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 a major end-of-year discount by calling Marketdata. Price: $695 (regular $1,495). Call: 813-971-8080. Table of Contents available, see home page, link for Diet Market – Our Specialty.