Blockbuster Weight Loss Drug Now A Daily Pill: What To Know

Americans whose goal is to lose weight in 2026 could find it easier to get a prescription for Wegovy, a blockbuster GLP-1 weight-loss drug used by tennis phenom Serena Williams and other celebrities. They and other devotees of the drug have raved about their dieting success, reporting not only weight loss but also improved mobility, energy and confidence.

But before asking their doctor to write a prescription for the newly approved Wegovy pill, which became available this week at pharmacies around the country, consumers should be aware it is not the “wonder drug” they may think, experts say.

With the green light from the Food and Drug Administration in December, drugmaker Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy is the first daily oral medication to treat obesity, a major public health crisis that affects 40 percent of U.S. adults and leads to chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease. The availability of a daily pill is expected to expand the booming market for obesity treatments by broadening access and reducing costs.

The two lowest-dose weight loss pills cost about $149 a month for people paying in cash without insurance. That compares to a monthly cash cost of $349 for the lowest dose of the Wegovy shot, according to Wegovy’s website. Higher doses of the pill, which would be prescribed for patients who want to lose more weight, could cost $299 a month.

The FDA’s approval handed Novo Nordisk an edge over rival Eli Lilly in the race to market an obesity pill. Lilly’s oral drug, orforglipron, is being considered under the agency’s new priority voucher program aimed at cutting drug approval times, and a decision is expected by spring.

GLP-1 drugs mimic a gut hormone to curb appetite and boost satiety. They’re an effective drug for Type 2 diabetes because they also prompt the pancreas to release insulin and the liver to reduce sugar production, in addition to decreasing hunger and cravings.

About 1 in 8 Americans have used injectable GLP-1 drugs, according to a survey from KFF, a nonprofit health policy research group. But many more have trouble affording the costly shots.

“There’s an entire demographic that can benefit from the pills,” Dr. Fatima Cody Stanford, a Massachusetts General Hospital obesity expert, told The Associated Press. “For me, it’s not just about who gets it across the finish line first. It’s about having these options available to patients.”

How Did We Get Here?

For years, weight-loss advice centered on low-calorie diets and exercise. “Popping a diet pill” was viewed as an unhealthy substitute for willpower and physical discipline, and many physicians were reluctant to prescribe medication.

As scientific understanding of the complex interplay of factors contributing to obesity evolved, weight-loss drugs gained acceptance as an effective tool when used appropriately within a comprehensive treatment plan.

In a significant departure from previous guidance that focused on healthy diets and exercise, the World Health Organization late last year recommended GLP-1 drugs to manage obesity in adults.

The U.N. agency’s guidance, developed by a committee of obesity, pharmacology and public health experts, came at the request of member states and regulatory agencies, including the FDA, NBC News reported.

The guidance, published in the medical journal JAMA, said that paired with counseling on healthy diets and physical activity, the drugs offer an effective strategy for long-term weight loss maintenance.

“GLP-1 therapies mark more than a scientific breakthrough,” the officials wrote. “They represent a new chapter in the gradual conceptual shift in how society approaches obesity — from a ‘lifestyle condition’ to a complex, preventable, and treatable chronic disease.”

The guidance emphasizes, though, that “medication alone cannot solve the global obesity burden.” It notes that obesity is likely also influenced by genetics, along with environmental factors such as greater exposure to processed foods and rising stress levels.

The report emphasized the need for more long-term data on the drugs’ safety and efficacy, and pricing that guarantees widespread access for populations in need.

How Effective Is The New Pill?

The new pill contains 25 milligrams of semaglutide, the same ingredient in injectables Wegovy and Ozempic, and in Rybelsus, a lower-dose pill approved to treat diabetes in 2019.

In a clinical trial, participants who took oral Wegovy lost 13.6 percent of their total body weight on average over about 15 months, compared with a 2.2 percent loss if they took a placebo, or dummy pill.

That's nearly the same as injectable Wegovy, with an average weight loss of about 15 percent.

Are There Side Effects?

All the GLP-1 drugs, oral or injectable, have similar side effects, including nausea, vomiting, constipation and diarrhea as their bodies adjust to the drug, and some people may experience fatigue or dizziness. The symptoms usually go away after a few days or a week. Full adjustment to the maintenance dose, which is incrementally increased, can take several months.

Another side effect is forgetting to eat.

Chris Mertens, 35, a pediatric lung doctor in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, joined the Novo Nordisk trial in 2022 and lost about 40 pounds using the Wegovy pill. The daily medication worked to decrease his appetite and invasive thoughts of food, he said.

“If there were days where I missed a meal, I almost didn’t realize it,” Mertens told The AP.

Habitually skipping meals can result in more significant problems, including muscle loss, a risk factor for frailty. These side effects can be mitigated with a diet high in protein, fiber and healthy fats along with resistance exercises that preserve muscle mass and function, experts advise.

When The Pill Is Taken Matters

The Wegovy pill must be taken with a sip of water in the morning on an empty stomach, with a 30-minute break before eating or drinking.

That’s because Novo Nordisk had to design the pill in a way that prevented the drug from being broken down in the stomach before it could be absorbed by the bloodstream. The drugmaker added an ingredient that protects the medication for about 30 minutes in the gut and makes it easier to take effect.

The strict schedule for taking the pill is one drawback of the pill, Dr. Shauna Levy, medical director of the Tulane Weight Loss Center, told NBC News. In a late-stage clinical trial, people who didn’t take the drug precisely as prescribed saw their weight loss drop from 16.6 percent on average to 13.6 percent.

“I think we need to consider that the efficacy of these medications is decreased if they are not taken consistently, and I am curious to see how they perform in real life,” Levy said.

By contrast, Lilly's orforglipron has no dosing restrictions.

Some Patients May Prefer Needles

It’s not clear whether daily pills or weekly injections will be preferred by patients. Although some patients dislike needles, others don’t seem to mind the weekly injections, obesity experts said.

Mertens turned to injectable Zepbound when he regained weight after the end of the Wegovy pill clinical trial.

He said he liked the discipline of the daily pill.

“It was a little bit of an intentional routine and a reminder of today I’m taking this so that I know my choices are going to be affected for the day,” he said.

Dr. Angela Fitch, an obesity expert and chief medical officer of knownwell, a health care company, said whatever the format, the biggest benefit will be in making weight-loss medications more widely accessible and affordable.

“It’s all about the price,” she told The AP. “Just give me a drug at $100 a month that is relatively effective.”

Are These ‘Lifetime’ Drugs?

GLP-1 medications suppress hunger, but the original hunger cues and cravings often return when patients go off the drugs, according to research from Stamford Health. Researchers reviewed hundreds of studies to track 2,372 participants who were prescribed both GLP-1 medication and lifestyle modifications such as nutrition counseling and exercise.

The review showed that on average, they gained 60 percent of the weight back within a few months to a year of quitting the drug, despite the lifestyle changes.

“That can be a devastating thing for the patient to deal with,” Suzanne Rose, Stamford Health’s executive director of research, said in a July 2025 announcement of the study results.

“Obesity is a chronic disease, so we should treat it the same way as, say, high blood pressure, where you just take those drugs every single day for the rest of your life,” Rose said. “So many people try so hard to lose weight, and these drugs help them do that.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Also On Patch

• Food Pyramid Flip Emphasizes Red Meat And Full-Fat Dairy: What Health Experts Say
• Childhood Vaccine Schedule Gets Major Makeover By CDC: What To Know
• Flu Surge Driven By Vaccine-Resistant Mutation: Here’s What CDC Advises