The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the tablet equivalent of the company's best-seller Wegovy for sale on the US market.
Novo Nordisk and competitor Eli Lilly have been in a race to be the first to release their weight loss drugs in tablet form. However, the American giant's tablets are still awaiting FDA approval.
Wegovy tablets are expected to reach the US market in January 2026, the company writes in a press release.
According to the AP, one in eight Americans has been treated with GLP-1 drugs, but many have difficulty affording the expensive syringes.
Unlike the injections, which are taken once a week, the tablets are taken once a day. The tablets contain the same active ingredient (semaglutide) as the injections and, according to the company, should have a similar effect.
The European Medicines Agency (EMA) is also investigating Wegovy tablets for sale in Europe.
Novo Nordisk has faced headwinds this year due to cheaper versions of Wegovy and Ozempic. As recently as November, the company lowered its full-year forecast for the fourth time this year, and the headwinds have raised concerns about mass layoffs and a broad economic downturn.
So-called GLP-1 drugs with the substances semaglutide and tirzepatide were developed for diabetics and are sold on prescription under the brands Ozempic and Wegovy (semaglutide) and Mounjaro and Zepbound (tirzepatide).
The medications were later shown to be effective against obesity as well, as they affect hunger signals to the brain and slow down the rate at which a person's stomach empties, making the feeling of fullness last longer.
GLP-1 (Glucagon-like peptide-1) is a natural hormone that helps maintain normal blood sugar levels. GLP-1 is released in the body after eating and stimulates the pancreas to release insulin when blood sugar is high. The current medicines imitate the body's own hormone GLP-1, which is released in the gut when you eat.
Research shows that semaglutide also reduces the risk of heart attack and stroke in people with obesity, and improves symptoms of heart failure.
