Novo Nordisk launches Ozempic pill in US, retires Rybelsus brand

Novo Nordisk began selling a reformulated version of its oral semaglutide tablet under the Ozempic name in the United States on Monday, May 4, 2026 ^[1][2]. The company retired the Rybelsus name in the US market, where the oral form of semaglutide had been sold since its approval in 2019, and is promoting the change with the tagline "There is only one Ozempic" ^[1][2].

What changed

The new tablet is smaller and uses a new coating, and Novo Nordisk says it is more bioavailable, meaning more of the drug is absorbed, while offering the same efficacy and safety profile as the original formulation ^[1][2].

"With this new formulation, we were able to improve the absorption, if you will, the bioavailability of semaglutide," Michael Radin, Novo Nordisk's executive director of diabetes medical affairs, told Fierce Pharma ^[2].

The strengths differ from Rybelsus. The Ozempic pill comes in 1.5 mg, 4 mg and 9 mg tablets, compared with 3 mg, 7 mg and 14 mg for Rybelsus, and the company says the new doses are equivalent to the old ones ^[1][2].

The pill is approved for adults with type 2 diabetes. Novo Nordisk says it can help improve blood glucose control alongside diet and exercise and reduce major cardiovascular events in adults with type 2 diabetes at increased risk ^[1]. It is available through more than 70,000 US pharmacies, select telehealth providers and Novo's direct-to-patient NovoCare pharmacy ^[1][2]. The launch comes as Eli Lilly sells tirzepatide as Mounjaro and Zepbound and has launched orforglipron under the brand Foundayo, a rival oral GLP-1 ^[2].

Pricing

Novo Nordisk outlined pricing that it says will improve access. For people with insurance, the medication may be available for $25 for up to a three-month supply. Self-pay options through Novo's pharmacy and certain telehealth providers are expected to range from about $149 to $299 per month depending on dose ^[1]. What happens to the $25 insured price after that three-month period has not been reported.

Why it matters for patients

The change affects anyone filling a prescription for oral semaglutide in the US. Novo Nordisk said current Rybelsus patients "should continue their medication as directed" but should "speak with their healthcare professionals about transitioning to the Ozempic pill, as appropriate" ^[2]. Because the new strengths use different numbers, patients and pharmacists will see unfamiliar doses on labels for the same drug ^[1][2].

The rename also adds a second product to a brand many people already know for a weekly injection. Ed Cinca, Novo Nordisk's senior vice president of marketing and patient solutions, described the strategy as "one brand; two presentations" covering type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and chronic kidney disease ^[2]. Jamey Millar, the company's executive vice president of US operations, said prescribers can offer "an injectable form or an oral form of the same semaglutide Ozempic brand" ^[2].

The two forms are not interchangeable in effect. Research suggests injectable semaglutide achieves significantly greater reductions in HbA1c, a measure of average blood sugar, than oral forms in people with type 2 diabetes, and that adverse events occur more frequently with oral semaglutide ^[1]. Mir Ali, a bariatric surgeon at MemorialCare Orange Coast Medical Center in California, told Medical News Today that oral GLP-1 drugs are "easier to take, transport, and store" and typically cost less to manufacture, but are "slightly less effective than injections" and require daily rather than weekly administration ^[1].

The change is US-only. Rybelsus branding continues outside the country, and Novo Nordisk says the new pill is manufactured end-to-end in the United States, largely through its North Carolina operations ^[2].

What happens next

Cinca said the rebranding "will be approached over the year," with more messaging that Ozempic is available as a pen or a pill ^[2]. Novo Nordisk said it is confident in its ability to supply the US market with both the Ozempic pill and the Wegovy pill ^[2]. The Wegovy brand is otherwise unchanged apart from the addition of the Wegovy pill ^[2].