The Wegovy pill contains semaglutide 25 mg and is taken once daily. The approval is based on the OASIS programme, including the OASIS 4 study in 307 adults with obesity or overweight and at least one weight-related comorbidity. The study demonstrated a mean weight loss of 17 per cent compared with 3 per cent for placebo, when used alongside lifestyle intervention. Around one in three participants achieved weight loss of 20 per cent or more. The safety and tolerability profile is described as consistent with the established profile of injectable semaglutide, with adverse-event-related discontinuations of 6.9 per cent compared with 5.9 per cent for placebo.
The approval means that European patients can now for the first time choose an oral alternative to injectable GLP-1 receptor agonist treatment. The Wegovy pill is already available in the US, the UK and the United Arab Emirates, and Novo Nordisk states that launches in additional countries are planned for the second half of 2026
On the same day, the European Commission also approved Wegovy 7.2 mg in a single-dose pen for subcutaneous injection. That dose demonstrated a mean weight loss of 21 per cent in clinical trials
– Today’s European Commission approval of Wegovy as a once-daily pill brings another important treatment option to people living with obesity. Obesity is a serious chronic disease, and choice can make a real difference. For many people, a tablet may be a simpler and more acceptable way to start and continue treatment, says Mike Doustdar, CEO of Novo Nordisk
