Wegovy pill is the most-chosen new weight-loss medicine of 2026, Novo Nordisk says

Novo Nordisk said that over the course of 2026, more patients starting a new weight-management medicine have chosen Wegovy than any other option, helped by the company's new pill and its high-dose injection ^[1]. The Wegovy pill, an oral form of semaglutide, has passed 3 million US prescriptions since reaching pharmacies and online providers on January 5, according to the company ^[1].

The figures were released around the American Diabetes Association 2026 Scientific Sessions in New Orleans ^[1]. Novo said the pill reached its first 1 million US prescriptions within 12 weeks of launch, and the next 2 million came in 10 weeks, a pace the company described as roughly one prescription filled every five seconds ^[1].

Earlier disclosures trace the same climb. Novo's first-quarter report said the pill recorded about 1.3 million prescriptions in the quarter and that weekly prescriptions topped 200,000 in the week ending April 17 ^[2]. By May 7, the company put the total at more than 2 million, calling it the strongest-ever GLP-1 volume launch in the US ^[2]. First-quarter sales for the pill were DKK 2,256 million ^[2].

Novo said more than 80% of new Wegovy pill prescriptions filled are for patients new to GLP-1 therapy ^[1]. The company also reported "strong uptake" of Wegovy HD, the 7.2 mg injectable semaglutide ^[1]. That dose was approved by the FDA in March and launched in the US on April 7 ^[2]. In the STEP UP trial, it produced 20.7% mean weight loss, according to the company ^[2].

On price, Novo set the starting 1.5 mg dose of the pill at $149 per month for patients paying cash, with monthly costs as low as $25 for commercially insured patients using savings programs ^[1]. The pill's first quarter on the market brought in $355 million ^[1]. Novo now expects adjusted sales to decline 4% to 12% in 2026, compared with the 5% to 13% decline it forecast in February; the company's May report described the change as a raised outlook ^[1][2].

Not all of the prescription data is complete. Analysts at Jefferies and Citi have said IQVIA-based figures may underreport telehealth referrals, which could skew launch comparisons between Novo's pill and Eli Lilly's oral GLP-1, Foundayo, which launched in early April ^[1].

Outside the US, Novo launched the Wegovy pill in the United Arab Emirates on June 3, the first country other than the United States to make it available ^[3]. The UAE approval is based on the OASIS 4 trial, in which once-daily oral semaglutide 25 mg produced about 17% mean weight loss among adults with obesity or overweight and at least one related condition who adhered to treatment ^[3]. One in three participants lost 20% or more, and Novo said the weight loss was similar to that of injectable Wegovy 2.4 mg ^[3]. The pill is approved by the FDA and the Emirates Drug Establishment to reduce the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events in adults with established cardiovascular disease and obesity or overweight ^[3].

Why it matters for patients

The pill format appears to be reaching people who had not started an injected GLP-1: Novo says more than 80% of new pill prescriptions are for GLP-1-new patients ^[1]. Before the pill, US patients choosing semaglutide for weight management used weekly injections or, for diabetes, the oral form sold as Rybelsus.

Cost still shapes access. Novo's cash price for the starting 1.5 mg pill dose is $149 per month, and the company says commercially insured patients using savings programs may pay as little as $25 ^[1]. Pricing for higher pill doses was not disclosed in these reports.

Ed Cinca, a Novo Nordisk senior vice president who oversees US commercial strategy for its cardiometabolic portfolio, said about 120 million people in the US would qualify for an anti-obesity medicine, adding that "such a small few are actually being provided AOM therapy" ^[1]. He also said cost and coverage are a "very real reality" for patients and families ^[1].

No head-to-head trial results comparing the Wegovy pill with other obesity medicines have been reported in these accounts, and Novo's prescription-share claims rest on company statements and third-party data that analysts say may be incomplete ^[1].

What happens next

Novo expects the first Wegovy pill launches outside the US in the second half of 2026, pending regulatory decisions ^[2]. The pill is awaiting final marketing approval from the European Medicines Agency ^[3].

Emil Kongshøj Larsen, executive vice president of International Operations at Novo Nordisk, said future launches will be guided by local patient demand, the readiness of healthcare professionals and the strength of healthcare and telehealth infrastructure that can support long-term obesity care ^[3].