Novo Nordisk renames reformulated Rybelsus as Ozempic tablets

The reformulated oral semaglutide that Novo Nordisk launched in December 2024 as Rybelsus has been renamed Ozempic tablets, a change listed on the drug's FDA approval history as of January 30, 2026 ^[2]. The tablets keep their type 2 diabetes indications, while Wegovy remains the company's brand for weight reduction ^[2].

The rename applies only to the newer formulation, not to the original oral product. The approval history lists Rybelsus in 3 mg, 7 mg and 14 mg tablets, first approved September 20, 2019, and separately lists the R2 formulation approved December 9, 2024 in 1.5 mg, 4 mg and 9 mg strengths, marked as "rebranded as Ozempic tablets January 30, 2026" ^[2]. The same page lists "Ozempic (tablets)" as a product with its own approval date of January 30, 2026 and identifies it as formerly the Rybelsus R2 formulation ^[2].

Ozempic tablets are indicated, along with diet and exercise, to improve blood sugar control in adults with type 2 diabetes and to reduce the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events in adults with type 2 diabetes who are at high risk for them ^[2]. The Ozempic injection, first approved December 5, 2017, carries those indications plus one for reducing the risk of worsening kidney disease in patients with type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease ^[2]. Wegovy injection was first approved June 4, 2021, and Wegovy tablets were approved December 22, 2025 in 1.5 mg, 4 mg, 9 mg and 25 mg strengths for weight reduction and cardiovascular risk reduction in adults with obesity or overweight ^[2].

There are practical differences between the two Ozempic forms. The injection is given once weekly at any time of day, with or without meals, while the tablets are taken once daily in the morning on an empty stomach ^[2]. Ozempic carries a boxed warning for thyroid C-cell tumors, and its warnings include acute pancreatitis, diabetic retinopathy complications, low blood sugar, acute kidney injury from volume depletion, severe gastrointestinal reactions, serious allergic reactions, gallbladder disease, and pulmonary aspiration during general anesthesia or deep sedation ^[2]. Common side effects reported in at least 5 percent of patients taking Ozempic tablets include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, constipation and decreased appetite ^[2].

Because the renamed tablets are listed as a separate approved product with their own approval date, patients needed a new prescription to move to the Ozempic tablets name; the approval history does not describe any automatic conversion of existing Rybelsus prescriptions ^[2]. Whether the original Rybelsus tablets will stay on the market has not been disclosed ^[2]. A February 4, 2026 entry on the same approval history says Novo Nordisk introduced the Ozempic pill and that it would be available in the United States in the second quarter of 2026 ^[2]. A February 24, 2026 entry says the company announced a significant reduction in the US list price for Wegovy, Ozempic and Rybelsus ^[2].

Why it matters for patients

The name printed on a prescription is what a pharmacy dispenses and what an insurer processes. Oral semaglutide now sits under two brand names with different approved purposes: Ozempic tablets for type 2 diabetes, and Wegovy tablets for weight reduction ^[2]. A patient who was stabilized on the R2 formulation under the Rybelsus name may now see a prescription written for a different brand name for the same tablets ^[2].

How much patients pay for Ozempic tablets, and how pharmacy benefit plans will classify the renamed product, has not been reported. The February 24, 2026 listing of a list price cut covered Wegovy, Ozempic and Rybelsus without breaking out the tablets ^[2].

What happens next

Novo Nordisk's introduction of the Ozempic pill was announced February 4, 2026, with US availability listed for the second quarter of 2026 ^[2]. The original Rybelsus tablets remained listed as an approved product as of the April 23, 2026 update to the approval history, and no discontinuation date has been reported ^[2].