Novo Nordisk drops the Rybelsus name in the US and sells oral semaglutide as Ozempic tablets

Novo Nordisk said on February 4, 2026 that oral semaglutide sold in the United States will carry the Ozempic name, ending the Rybelsus brand in this country ^[1][4]. The pills were scheduled to arrive in US pharmacies in the second quarter of 2026 and went on sale nationwide on May 4, 2026 ^[1][3][5].

A new name and a new dose scale

The tablet contains the same semaglutide molecule Rybelsus contained, but it comes in 1.5 mg, 4 mg and 9 mg strengths instead of 3 mg, 7 mg and 14 mg ^[1][3][4]. A Novo Nordisk executive said a reformulation improved absorption, which allowed a smaller pill at lower milligram doses ^[5]. Drugs.com lists January 30, 2026 as the approval date for Ozempic tablets, described as the former Rybelsus R2 formulation ^[1].

The two dose sets are not interchangeable milligram for milligram. Company executives said the older 3, 7 and 14 mg Rybelsus doses are equivalent to the new 1.5, 4 and 9 mg Ozempic tablets in efficacy and safety ^[5]. The approved uses cover adults with type 2 diabetes, as an addition to diet and exercise to improve blood sugar control, and to lower the risk of cardiovascular death, non-fatal heart attack or non-fatal stroke in adults with type 2 diabetes who are at high risk of those events ^[1][3]. The tablet is taken once daily in the morning on an empty stomach ^[1].

For people paying without insurance, Novo Nordisk set prices of $149 for the 1.5 mg starting dose, $199 a month for 4 mg and $299 a month for 9 mg ^[3].

Where it will be sold

Novo Nordisk said the tablets would be stocked at about 70,000 brick-and-mortar pharmacies, through selected telehealth providers and through its NovoCare pharmacy ^[3][5]. The company produces the new version end to end in the United States, largely at its North Carolina sites, and Jamey Millar, Novo's executive vice president of US operations, said the company feels "very confident" about supplying the US market with both its Ozempic and Wegovy pills ^[5].

"With Ozempic now available as both an injection and oral option under one brand, treatment can be individualized so patients are getting the proven semaglutide medicine that best fits their needs," said Ed Cinca, senior vice president of marketing and patient solutions at Novo Nordisk Inc. ^[3]. Cinca said the campaign would be built around the line "there is only one Ozempic," and he predicted the pill form would appeal to people who would rather not use a pen ^[5]. Rybelsus stops being a brand in the US but stays on the market elsewhere, and the tablets in this form are US-only ^[3][5].

Why it matters for patients

Labels and pharmacy records will look different even though the active drug has not changed. Because the strengths do not line up one to one, a prescription written for 7 mg Rybelsus is not the same written instruction as a 4 mg Ozempic tablet, even though the company describes those as matching doses ^[5]. Novo Nordisk advised people already on Rybelsus to keep taking it as directed and to speak with their healthcare professional about moving to the Ozempic pill, which would mean a prescription written under the new brand name ^[3][5].

Whether insurers and pharmacy benefit managers will treat the renamed tablet exactly as they treated Rybelsus has not been reported. Separately, Novo Nordisk announced on February 24, 2026 a significant reduction in US list prices for Wegovy, Ozempic and Rybelsus, and in August 2025 it set a $499 monthly self-pay price for the Ozempic injection ^[1].

What happens next

May 4, 2026 was the nationwide launch date ^[3][5]. A supplemental application for a 25 mg oral semaglutide tablet is under FDA review, and no decision date has been disclosed ^[4]. Wegovy tablets, the oral semaglutide product approved December 22, 2025 for weight reduction in obesity and overweight, are a separate product with different approved uses ^[1]. Cinca said the rebranding will be carried out over the course of the year ^[5].