The oral pill version of the weight loss drug Wegovy has just been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the United States, according to its manufacturer.
Wegovy, which is Novo Nordisk's brand name for semaglutide, has been a popular weight loss medication for a number of years, however up until recently, it was only available in injection form in the US.
The daily pill is now the first of its kind to be approved for weight loss in the States, unlike Ozempic, which has been approved as a treatment of Type 2 diabetes, despite being commonly used as a vehicle for weight loss.
Announcing that the pill is expected to be launched in the US in January, President and CEO of Novo Nordisk, Mike Doustdar, said: "Patients will have a convenient, once-daily pill that can help them lose as much weight as the original Wegovy injection.
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"As the first oral GLP-1 treatment for people living with overweight or obesity, the Wegovy pill provides patients with a new, convenient treatment option that can help patients start or continue their weight loss journey.
"No other current oral GLP-1 treatment can match the weight loss delivered by the Wegovy pill, and we are very excited for what this will mean for patients in the US."
What's the difference between oral and injectable Wegovy?
In a trial, the Wegovy pill was found to reduce body weight by 16.6 percent in people who are overweight or obese, which is very close to the results seen by those using the injectable drug. However, a third of people involved in the study actually achieved a higher weight loss with the oral medication.
With the injection, you'll typically have to administer the drug once a week, usually on the same day each week and you might find your prescriber increases the dose after around four weeks.
With the oral drug, health care professionals recommend taking the tablet as soon as you wake up, at least 30 minutes before eating or taking any other medications and with just a small amount of water.
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As well as the frequency of how often you take it, the main difference between the two is simply that one requires the use of a needle, which will be off-putting to some people, but the other doesn't.
Both forms of Wegovy have similar reported side effects, most commonly nausea and diarrhoea, however stomach pains, vomiting and constipation have also been widely reported with both.
Although the oral pills are yet to be available in the US, they're expected to be significantly cheaper at around $149 per month, compared to the eye-watering $1,350 per month before insurance or discounts, however some programmes are selling direct to consumer for closer to $499 per month.
Emma Rosemurgey