Oral Wegovy approved by FDA

[IshimaruKenta]

https://www.cnn.com/2025/12/22/health/wegovy-pill-glp1-weight-loss-drugs

The starting dose of the Wegovy pill will cost $149 for patients paying out of pocket, under an agreement...
The drug will likely become pricier via self-pay as doses increase, though Novo Nordisk hasn’t disclosed those prices yet.

 

[IshimaruKenta]

Interesting.

One difference between the medicines is that the Wegovy pill must be taken on an empty stomach with a small amount of water, and patients are directed not to eat, drink or take other medicines for 30 minutes after taking it.

 

[CNCCurrency]

Pass

 

[Airborne Daddy]

Interesting.

Didn't read it yet, was the absortion pretty good? Were prolly all addicted to pinning anyway lol...

 

[cygnus]

The more the merrier. I like the obesity drugs becoming more accessible to people that are afraid of injections -- yeah, retatrutide is way way better, but this is the beginning.

 

[IshimaruKenta]

Didn't read it yet, was the absortion pretty good? Were prolly all addicted to pinning anyway lol...

The Wegovy pill showed roughly similar weight loss and side effects in clinical trials as the Wegovy shot, and will be available by prescription in the US in January, according to Novo Nordisk.

 

[druell235]

I'd love to see some head to head comparisons of this vs orforglipron. At 25mg a day, it looks like they are having to use much more GLP-1 to achieve similar results. It has the same dosing instructions as Rybelsus, so it seems like its just a bigger dose of that vs something newer.

 

[cygnus]

I'd love to see some head to head comparisons of this vs orforglipron. At 25mg a day, it looks like they are having to use much more GLP-1 to achieve similar results. It has the same dosing instructions as Rybelsus, so it seems like its just a bigger dose of that vs something newer.

Supposedly slightly more effective than orforglipron on a bit shorter of a time period, so I suspect it'll be a question of insurance for most people (or whichever pharma sales rep gets to the doctors first).

 

[IshimaruKenta]

"The pills haven’t been compared head-to-head in a clinical trial, but in separate studies, the Wegovy pill showed average weight loss of 14% over 64 weeks, compared with 2% for a placebo, while orforglipron showed 11% weight loss over 72 weeks on its highest dose, compared with 2% for the placebo group. Wegovy injection showed weight loss of 15% in its key trial, versus 2% for placebo, while Zepbound showed 21% on its highest dose, compared with 3% for those on placebo."

 

[keangkong]

The more the merrier. I like the obesity drugs becoming more accessible to people that are afraid of injections -- yeah, retatrutide is way way better, but this is the beginning.

Agreed, This isn't the best drug, although ten years ago it would have seemed like a miracle. However, the lower cost and ability to avoid using a syringe will result in many people taking it who wouldn't take the other medications.

 

[druell235]

"The pills haven’t been compared head-to-head in a clinical trial, but in separate studies, the Wegovy pill showed average weight loss of 14% over 64 weeks, compared with 2% for a placebo, while orforglipron showed 11% weight loss over 72 weeks on its highest dose, compared with 2% for the placebo group. Wegovy injection showed weight loss of 15% in its key trial, versus 2% for placebo, while Zepbound showed 21% on its highest dose, compared with 3% for those on placebo."

I've got some orforglipron that I will be testing sometime next year. It seems like the orals will be good maintenance options for those of us who have hit goal with injections. They might also be good options for people who are just overweight/class 1, but injections, especially reta will still be king.

 

[YoYoFat]

Interesting.

That empty stomach is so hard for me, I never remember to take anything on an empty stomach.

 

[IshimaruKenta]

That empty stomach is so hard for me, I never remember to take anything on an empty stomach.

Yeah, I'm curious what happens if you don't do that.

 

[AndyPanda]

This isn’t new. Rybelsus has been out since 2019.

 

[clevesand]

Yeah, I'm curious what happens if you don't do that.

I've been on medication studies before (not weight loss). I assure you, the people in these trials are just average humans like you, and they don't always do everything as they should. This is likely why the results aren't as good in the trial. The data already tells us what happens when some poeple don't take it on an empty stomach

 

[Grogu]

Interesting.

Agree. Once I get to maintenance, the Wegovy pill or orforglipron might be viable and easy solutions and I think I would even be willing to pay $149/month for the rest of my life. That’s a fair amount and I could swing that, but not $499 for Lilly Direct. Only problem is that the $149 is a teaser rate and not sure if starter dose will be enough 🙄

 

[Such1943]

Didn't read it yet, was the absortion pretty good? Were prolly all addicted to pinning anyway lol...

I know I am, cannot wait to load that needle. lol

 

[ZippityDooDah]

Amateurs...

 

[MsGizmo]

I would rather have a shot once a week than try to remember to take a pill every day.

 

[Foggy-Hollow]

I've got some orforglipron that I will be testing sometime next year. It seems like the orals will be good maintenance options for those of us who have hit goal with injections. They might also be good options for people who are just overweight/class 1, but injections, especially reta will still be king.

Wanted to flag your attention: the article states that sema had to be paired with a friend to help it survive stomach acid.

May need to do something similar with orforglipron if taken orally. Or maybe not.

Which… generally is interesting. Maybe people will start downing 1/8 tsp baking soda to help a dose of peptide survive long enough to absorb? Seems too simple.

 

[miss-sanne]

It's not very good. Some of my patients use them (the diabetes brand sema), and it's all about tummy pain. It doesn't curb appetite, but does help some with A1c.
I would choose orfor anytime over sema pill.

 

[cygnus]

In an investor forum I saw that the GGG Tri-Agonist III in phase 1 with Eli Lilly was rumored to be an oral. Only a rumor though. Other orals I'm aware of:

Viking Therapeutics oral vk2735 phase 2 results blew both current orals out of the water (this can be thought of as an oral tirzepatide based on the GLP-1/GIP targets) -- 12% weight loss in only 13 weeks vs the 72 weeks for orfo. Phase 3 just enrolled as I understand it.

Astra Zenica has a GLP-1 daily oral in phase 2.

Novo has an oral amycretin in Phase 2.

Edited to add more details on the Viking Therapeutics.

Edit 2: Okay, now I'm hyped about vk2735. Any vendors making this one yet?

 

[Cdub100]

I was on oral zep for two months and it didn't do anything! I gain weight.

 

[cygnus]

I was on oral zep for two months and it didn't do anything! I gain weight.

Wow. Was it the Viking or something different?

 

[Cdub100]

Wow. Was it the Viking or something different?

It was from medvi compounder. I assume it was trash.

 

[cygnus]

I hope it was poorly compounded without necessary binders to bypass majority of stomach acid digestion. That's probably it.

The viking getting near injectable tirz numbers (if I recall correctly on that old Eli phase 2) so they must have really figured out how to get around that -- or rather, the company they bought the rights to the drug from figured it out.

 

[Rockybalboa]

Hmm why would anyone use sema as an oral when the injectable is outfated ?

 

[ambot88]

I would rather have a shot once a week than try to remember to take a pill every day.

Agree. My 5 kids being proof I suck at daily pill taking.

 

[MsGizmo]

Hmm why would anyone use sema as an oral when the injectable is outfated ?

Some people don't like needles.

 

[Rockybalboa]

Some people don't like needles.

When you try 31G needle and realize
that it does not feel anything.
You will never go back to oral knowing that the effect with injection are so much less taxing on your body. And the result are greater and it feels
like no contest against orals.
Try it and then decide😊