History just clocked in. The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has officially approved a pill version of Wegovy, the blockbuster weight-loss drug made by Danish pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk. This approval marks a major turning point in obesity treatment, as it is the first weight-loss pill of its kind to receive the FDA’s green light.
Until now, Wegovy has only been available as an injectable drug, a format that—let’s be honest—many people tolerate but don’t love. With this approval, Novo Nordisk is flipping the script by offering a once-daily oral pill that delivers the same weight-loss benefits as the injection. Simple, familiar, and far more convenient.
According to Novo Nordisk, clinical trials of the Wegovy pill showed strong and impressive results. Participants lost an average of 16.6% of their body weight, and about one-third of the 1,300 trial participants lost 20% or more. Those are not small numbers—they’re headline-level outcomes that put the pill on par with the injectable version.
The FDA approval follows Wegovy’s earlier clearance as a drug specifically for weight loss, setting it apart from similar medications like Ozempic, which was originally approved to treat Type 2 diabetes but later gained popularity for its weight-loss effects. This distinction reinforces Wegovy’s position as a purpose-built obesity treatment rather than a repurposed solution.
Novo Nordisk described the pill as a more “convenient option” for patients, and the company’s CEO, Mike Doustdar, emphasized that users can expect the same level of weight reduction as with the injection—just without the needles. The pill is expected to launch in the United States in early January 2026, positioning it perfectly for a strong market entry at the start of the year.
Beyond the medical breakthrough, the approval also carries big business implications. Novo Nordisk has had a challenging year, facing pressure from competitors like Eli Lilly and issuing profit warnings that sent its share price sliding. This announcement, however, sparked renewed investor confidence, with the company’s shares jumping nearly 10% in after-hours trading in New York.
In short, this approval isn’t just about a new pill—it’s about accessibility, choice, and momentum. A once-daily Wegovy tablet could reshape how weight-loss treatments are used, prescribed, and accepted, making medical weight management feel a lot more like everyday healthcare and a lot less like a hurdle. The era of injectable-only solutions may finally be making room at the table.