Novo Nordisk announces the US launch date for Ozempic tablets

Novo Nordisk announced on May 1, 2026 that Ozempic (semaglutide) tablets in 1.5 mg, 4 mg and 9 mg strengths will be available in the US starting Monday, May 4, for adults with type 2 diabetes ^[1]. The pill is a reformulated, renamed version of Rybelsus, which the FDA first approved in 2019 as semaglutide tablets 3 mg, 7 mg and 14 mg ^[1].

The company says the new tablets work similarly to the older Rybelsus strengths and have "the same efficacy and safety profile as the original formulation offered in a smaller pill" ^[1]. The rename, Novo says, is meant to help patients and clinicians more easily recognize which type 2 diabetes treatments contain the semaglutide molecule ^[1]. Rybelsus will continue to be marketed outside the US ^[1].

What the pill is approved for

Ozempic tablets are indicated, along with diet and exercise, to improve blood sugar in adults with type 2 diabetes, and to reduce the risk of major cardiovascular events such as heart attack, stroke or death in adults with type 2 diabetes who are at high risk for those events ^[1]. Novo describes it as the only oral GLP-1 approved for both primary prevention (people at higher risk who have not had an event) and secondary prevention (people who already had one) ^[1].

That is a different label from Ozempic injection, which carries indications for blood sugar, cardiovascular risk reduction in adults with known heart disease, and for slowing worsening kidney disease and reducing kidney failure and cardiovascular death in adults with chronic kidney disease ^[1]. Neither the injection nor the tablets are approved for use in children ^[1], and neither is approved for weight loss; a Novo executive said only that with the pill "people may also lose weight" ^[1].

One inconsistency in the announcement is worth flagging: the launch covers 1.5 mg, 4 mg and 9 mg, and 1.5 mg is described as "the starting dose," but the "What is Ozempic" safety section of the release lists tablets as 4 mg or 9 mg ^[1].

Price and where to get it

Novo says the pill will be sold through more than 70,000 US pharmacies and is being manufactured end-to-end in the US ^[1]. For most patients with type 2 diabetes who have insurance coverage, the company says the cost can be as little as $25 for up to a three-month prescription ^[1].

For people paying cash through NovoCare Pharmacy or select telehealth providers, Novo lists $149 for the 1.5 mg starting dose, $199 a month for 4 mg and $299 a month for 9 mg ^[1]. One month is defined as one bottle of 30 tablets ^[1]. Government beneficiaries are excluded, other eligibility rules and restrictions apply, and Novo says it can modify or cancel the program at any time ^[1]. This is the first time semaglutide in pill form for type 2 diabetes is being offered through NovoCare Pharmacy ^[1].

Why it matters for patients

If you currently fill Rybelsus in the US, the product on the shelf is changing name and strength numbers. Novo says Rybelsus patients should continue their medication as directed and talk with their healthcare professionals about transitioning to the Ozempic pill "as appropriate" ^[1]. Because 3 mg, 7 mg and 14 mg become 1.5 mg, 4 mg and 9 mg, the number on a bottle will not match the old prescription even though the company says the medicines perform the same way ^[1].

Cost is the other practical change. The cash prices are fixed by dose, so what someone pays without insurance depends on which strength they are taking ^[1]. Insured patients may see a very different number than cash payers ^[1].

The safety information is unchanged in kind from other semaglutide products: a boxed-type warning about thyroid C-cell tumors seen in rodents, contraindications for people with a personal or family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma or MEN 2, and warnings about pancreatitis, vision changes, low blood sugar when combined with insulin or sulfonylureas, dehydration and kidney problems, gallbladder problems, severe stomach problems, and aspiration risk during anesthesia ^[1]. Common side effects listed include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain and constipation, plus decreased appetite with the tablets ^[1]. Breastfeeding is not recommended during treatment with the tablets ^[1].

What happens next

Earlier in 2026, Novo filed a supplemental application for Ozempic tablets 25 mg for adults with type 2 diabetes, and the company expects an FDA decision by the end of 2026 ^[1]. Whether that higher strength is approved, and at what price, is not yet known.