Novo previews oral semaglutide and pipeline data for ObesityWeek 2025

On October 20, 2025, Novo Nordisk announced it would present new results on its oral semaglutide 25 mg tablet — marketed as Wegovy in a pill — along with other obesity pipeline data at the ObesityWeek 2025 medical meeting ^[2]. The announcement came the same week the FDA separately cleared oral semaglutide 7 mg and 14 mg, sold as Rybelsus, to reduce cardiovascular risk in adults with type 2 diabetes at high risk, on October 17, 2025 ^[1].

At ObesityWeek, held in early November, Novo Nordisk presented four new analyses of the oral semaglutide 25 mg data, according to a company release logged on November 5, 2025 ^[2]. Those findings built on results first published in September 2025, which had already shown 16.6% average weight loss in people with obesity taking the pill ^[2]. The data came from the phase 3 OASIS 4 trial, a 64-week study in adults with obesity or overweight and at least one weight-related health problem, without diabetes ^[1].

OASIS 4 randomized 307 participants 2:1 to once-daily oral semaglutide 25 mg or placebo, both paired with diet and exercise counseling ^[1]. Among those who stayed on treatment for the full 64 weeks, average weight loss was about 17% (16.6%) with the pill versus about 3% (2.7%) with placebo ^[1]. Counting everyone regardless of whether they stayed on treatment, average weight loss was about 14% (13.6%) with the drug versus about 2% (2.4%) with placebo ^[1]. Seventy-six percent of people on the pill lost at least 5% of their body weight, compared with 31% on placebo ^[1]. Starting body weights averaged 235 pounds in the drug group and 231 pounds in the placebo group ^[1]. Side effects — nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting — were similar to those seen with injected semaglutide ^[1].

Why it matters for patients

The ObesityWeek data previewed in October became the clinical evidence base the FDA later relied on. Two months after the meeting, on December 22, 2025, the FDA approved the oral semaglutide 25 mg pill for chronic weight management, making it the first oral GLP-1 medicine approved for obesity in the US ^[1]. For patients, that means a needle-free option alongside the injectable Wegovy pen, which some people may prefer for convenience or discomfort with injections.

The pill is not identical to the injection in dosing or trial size — OASIS 4 enrolled just over 300 people, a smaller study than some pivotal injectable-semaglutide trials — so questions about how the pill performs across broader, more diverse populations are still being answered through ongoing research. Side effects reported so far mirror the injectable drug's known profile of gastrointestinal symptoms ^[1].

Cost and access will also matter. Novo Nordisk said the starting 1.5 mg dose would reach pharmacies and select telehealth providers in early January 2026, with a savings offer bringing the price to $149 per month ^[1]. Whether insurance plans cover the pill the same way they cover injectable Wegovy is not addressed in these sources.

What happens next

The oral semaglutide 25 mg pill was approved by the FDA on December 22, 2025 ^[1]. It is expected to become available at pharmacies and through select telehealth providers in early January 2026 ^[1]. Separately, oral semaglutide's cardiovascular indication for type 2 diabetes, approved October 17, 2025, remains a distinct use from the new weight-management approval ^[1].