on PinterestThe Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved a tablet version of the GLP-1 drug Wegovy for weight loss.
on PinterestThe Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved a tablet version of the GLP-1 drug Wegovy for weight loss. Image courtesy of Novo Nordisk
- Novo Nordisk officials said a new pill version of its weight loss drug Wegovy is now available in the United States.
- The Food and Drug Administration recently approved the Wegovy tablet as a prescription treatment for obesity and weight management.
- Experts say a pill version of a GLP-1 drug could make it easier for people to stay on a weight loss regimen, but they added that diet and exercise still remain the most important components of these types of programs.
A well-known weight loss medication is now available in the United States in pill form.
The availability comes just weeks after the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the tablet version of the GLP-1 drug Wegovy for weight loss.
Officials at Novo Nordisk, the manufacturer of the medication, said a “starter dose” of 1.5 milligrams (mg) can now be purchased with a prescription at pharmacies and other facilities in the United States.
Higher doses of the Wegovy pill will be available by the end of this week, company officials said.
They note that the new pill is the only medication that is specifically prescribed for weight loss that can be taken as a tablet as opposed to an injection.
They reported that the Wegovy pill produced an average of 16% weight loss in people who took the medication over a 64-week period in a phase III clinical trial.
“We know there are people who are interested in addressing their weight but have been waiting on the sidelines for a medicine that was right for them. For many of them, that wait is over as we can now offer the powerful efficacy of Wegovy in a once-daily pill,” said Ed Cinca, senior vice president of marketing and patient solutions at Novo Nordisk, in a statement.
Eli Lilly is currently seeking FDA approval for an oral weight loss medication it has developed and tested in phase III clinical trials.
Experts say a pill form of GLP-1 medication could help people adhere to a weight loss routine that also involves a healthy diet and regular exercise.
“The advent of a weight loss pill certainly has some advantages,” said Mir Ali, MD, a general surgeon, bariatric surgeon, and medical director of MemorialCare Surgical Weight Loss Center at Orange Coast Medical Center in California. “People are more used to taking pills than they are taking injections.”
“I think this will be a great option for individuals who have not considered taking these drugs… due to them being injectables,” added Kristin Kirkpatrick, RD, the president of KAK Consulting and a dietitian at the Cleveland Clinic Department of Wellness & Preventive Medicine in Ohio.
What to know about the Wegovy pill
Novo Nordisk officials said the Wegovy pill is now available in more than 70,000 U.S. pharmacies, including CVS and Costco, as well as select telehealth providers.
They said the medication will cost about $149 for a month’s supply without insurance coverage or special savings under an
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