European panel backs oral Wegovy and a 7.2 mg pen for weight loss

Europe's medicines regulator moved the Wegovy (semaglutide) pill closer to pharmacy shelves on 21 May 2026, when a key committee recommended allowing the drug to be sold as a once-daily tablet for weight management in the European Union ^[1][3]. The same panel endorsed a higher-dose Wegovy injection pen at 7.2 mg ^[2].

The Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP), which reviews human medicines at the European Medicines Agency, adopted a positive opinion covering four tablet strengths: 1.5 mg, 4 mg, 9 mg and 25 mg ^[3]. Novo Nordisk A/S holds the marketing authorization for the product ^[1][3]. Reuters reported that the committee separately backed a 7.2 mg version of the injection in a single pen, above the doses sold today ^[2].

A positive opinion is not a sales permit. The European Commission makes the final decision, normally 67 days after the committee acts ^[3]. If granted, the tablet would be the first GLP-1 receptor agonist for weight management designed to be swallowed rather than injected anywhere in Europe ^[1][2].

Who the tablets are meant for

Under the recommended wording, adults with a body mass index (BMI) of 30 kg/m² or higher would qualify, as would adults with a BMI of 27 up to 30 who also have at least one weight-related condition such as prediabetes, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, abnormal cholesterol, obstructive sleep apnoea or cardiovascular disease ^[3]. The medicine is meant to be used alongside a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity ^[3]. Injected Wegovy is cleared for patients age 12 and older; the tablet would be for adults only ^[1].

Taking it is not as simple as swallowing a pill with breakfast. The instructions call for one tablet daily on an empty stomach, after at least eight hours without food, followed by a 30-minute wait before eating, drinking or taking any other medicine ^[1]. It would be prescription-only ^[1].

What the trials showed

The EMA's summary describes a phase 3 study of 307 adults who had obesity, or who were overweight with at least one related condition. They took the tablets or a placebo for 64 weeks along with diet and exercise. Average weight fell 13.61% on the drug against 2.18% on placebo, and 76.3% of tablet users shed at least 5% of their body weight, compared with 30.5% of those on placebo ^[1].

Reuters gave a different number: an average 16.6% weight loss on the 25 mg dose, against 2.7% for placebo, across 64 weeks of a late-stage trial ^[2]. Neither account explains why the two figures differ.

The most frequent side effects were gastrointestinal, including nausea, diarrhoea, constipation, abdominal pain, indigestion and vomiting, and they clustered at the start of treatment. The safety profile was similar to that of the weekly injection ^[1].

Why it matters for patients

This is a European decision and does not alter care in the United States. The oral Wegovy pill already won FDA approval in December 2025 and reached the US market earlier this year, and Eli Lilly's weight-loss pill Foundayo (orforglipron) launched in April 2026 after its own US approval ^[2]. Nothing in the European opinion changes what a US patient can be prescribed now.

For people who would rather not inject, an oral option is a meaningful alternative, but the fasting schedule is a real constraint. Tricia Tan, professor of metabolic medicine and endocrinology at Imperial College London, said the fasting rule and the restriction on taking it with other medicines are not a major barrier once patients are instructed, though some may struggle to remember a daily dose ^[2].

Approval also is not the same as access. Dr. Anita Phung, a research physician and medical monitor at Lindus Health, said regulatory success does not guarantee wide patient access, noting that reimbursement policies vary across Europe and that injectable Wegovy is often limited to specialist services rather than primary care ^[2]. Price and reimbursement are settled country by country once an EU authorization exists ^[1].

Whether the 7.2 mg pen will reach the US has not been reported.

What happens next

The European Commission is expected to issue its decision on the marketing authorization, normally within 67 days of the 21 May opinion ^[3]. Novo Nordisk plans to launch the pill in some markets outside the US in the second half of 2026, and the 7.2 mg pen is expected in the third quarter ^[2]. Lilly's oral weight-loss drug is still under review by the EMA ^[2].