EU regulator approves pill form of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy weight loss drug
COPENHAGEN — Novo Nordisk has obtained approval for the pill form of its popular Wegovy anti-obesity drug in the European Union, the bloc's medicines regulator said on Friday.
The European Medicines Agency said it had "recommended an extension to the marketing authorization for Wegovy (semaglutide) in the EU to add an oral formulation for weight management", alongside the injectable treatment.
The decision follows U.S. approval of the pill form in December.
Novo Nordisk says prescriptions there have surged to over 200,000 a week.
In the EU, the Wegovy pill —the first such version of glucagon-like peptide (GLP-1) treatments — will be available only to adults, while the injectable version can be prescribed to patients 12 and older.
The company still needs a final clearance from the European Commission, the EU's executive arm.
That is seen as a formality.
Novo Nordisk said it expected to start selling the pill in other markets in the second quarter of this year.
Pricing will be determined by EU member states.
The launch of the pill version helped bolster the Danish pharmaceutical group's
Obesity drugs linked to stalling cancer
- How GLP-1s are more than just weight-loss wonders – but not without risk South China Morning Post —
- Weight-loss drugs from Lilly, Novo linked to stalling cancer: report Seeking Alpha —
- Eli Lilly’s next-gen obesity drug beats Ozempic and Mounjaro, helps patients lose over 30% body weight in trial The Indian Express —
- New weight-loss drug Retatrutide showing stronger results than current options CBS News —
- Experimental drug yields dramatic weight loss Boston Globe —