Woman among first to take 'game changer' weight loss pill hails results 'without side effects' of jabs
A woman among the first in America to take the new Wegovy pill has claimed that she is yet to have any side effects.
Sharon Vickers, who weighed nearly 19 stone at her heaviest, decided to undergo gastric sleeve surgery in January 2025.
The 46-year-old, from South Carolina, US, lost just over five stone post surgery but wasn't able to keep shedding the weight.
Last September, the mum-of-five enquired about GLP-1 injections only to find them 'too expensive'. Sharon then found out that Novo Nordisk, the manufacturer of Ozempic, was bringing out a Wegovy pill.
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Rather than paying $500 (£368) a month for a jab, the pills cost her $149 (£110) for a 30-day supply.
IQVIA data revealed that the pill hit over 26,000 prescriptions in the second full week of it being launched on 5 January, 2026.
"I went straight to the pharmacy, but they had sold out, so I went back a few days later and managed to get them," the Greenville resident said.
"At day five of taking the pills, it shut out food noise completely.
"I am not snacking as much as I used to; hours could pass by, and I won't even think of food.
"I have no side effects, I workout every day, and have loads of energy - I have lost two lbs so far."
'Food noise' refers to constant thoughts about food when taking weight-loss medication, and is one of the reasons why it can be easy to put weight on after getting off the drugs.
Sharon, who works as an enterprise procurement specialist, said she feels 'so blessed' after taking the pills.
"I work from home, so it is so easy for me to get up and grab something to eat," she said.
"I ate everything and anything, I did not discriminate with anything, I enjoy all foods and loved everything about food.
"Since starting the pills, I have been so blessed. It has completely cut out all the food noise for me. I am just not thinking about food anymore."
She added: "If the price is still affordable and the food noise comes back, I might decide to keep taking the pills to maintain my weight."
Is the Wegovy pill available in the UK?
Wegovy is only available in the UK as a once-weekly injection pen, not as a pill.
An oral version, however, is awaiting approval with a decision expected later in 2026. And although both drugs are manufactured by Novo Nordisk, Wegovy isn't the same as Ozempic despite containing the same active ingredient, semaglutide.
Wegovy is licensed for chronic weight management, while Ozempic is approved to treat type 2 diabetes.
Novo Nordisk said its study showed that adults who took the Wegovy pill achieved on 14 percent average weight loss.
Anish Vij