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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the first GLP-1 weight-loss pill, a tablet formulation of semaglutide. This approval addresses a significant gap in the market: “weekly shots such as Wegovy and Eli Lilly’s Zepbound have dominated the anti-obesity market to date. Yet many people with excess weight don’t take the shots due to cost, spotty insurance coverage and fear of needles.”
The oral formulation expands treatment options for patients who have avoided injectable GLP-1 therapy.
The new oral formulation delivers weight loss results comparable to its injectable counterpart. In a clinical study of 205 participants, those taking Novo Nordisk’s pill for 64 weeks lost an average of 16.6% of their body weight.
This aligns closely with the approximately 15% average weight loss seen with injectable Wegovy.
For individuals hesitant about needles or the logistics of injectable medication, the oral option with comparable outcomes provides a meaningful alternative.
As David Moore, executive vice president of Novo Nordisk’s U.S. operations, stated in The Wall Street Journal: “We now have injectable-like efficacy in a once-daily pill. And that’s a change from where we’ve been in terms of treating obesity.”
For practitioners looking to deepen their expertise in GLP-1 medications, IAPAM offers specialized training programs designed to help physicians understand and integrate these therapies into their aesthetic medicine practices.
The oral GLP-1 addresses a key barrier for some patients. Analysts note that a weight-loss pill addresses patient hesitancy over injections.
Some patients prefer weekly injections. The pill simply expands the options available.
According to the WSJ, this restriction has not been an impediment to patients taking Rybelsus, the diabetes pill with the same ingredient.
However, practitioners should counsel patients that this daily fasting requirement may present a practical barrier for some. The need to wait 30 minutes before consuming food or beverages—including morning coffee—is a meaningful consideration that differs from the convenience of a weekly injection with no timing restrictions.
Novo Nordisk has a head start, but competition is coming. Eli Lilly plans to introduce its own weight-loss pill within weeks or months.
Key timeline for Eli Lilly’s orforglipron:
A critical distinction: Lilly’s orforglipron has no food or water restrictions.
This represents a meaningful advantage over the Wegovy pill, as patients can take it at any time without fasting requirements. In clinical trials, orforglipron demonstrated approximately 12.4% average weight loss, which is comparable to the Wegovy pill.
This suggests that when orforglipron becomes available, it may offer a more convenient oral option for patients seeking GLP-1 therapy without injection.
The approval of the first oral GLP-1 pill for weight loss expands the treatment landscape for obesity. By delivering comparable weight loss results without the need for injections, it provides GLP-1 therapy as an option for patients who prefer oral medications.
For aesthetic medicine practitioners, understanding the nuances of this new treatment option—including its efficacy, dosing requirements, and cost—is key to guiding patients holistically through their aesthetic and wellness journeys.
Get trained in glp-1s and FDA-approved medical weight management treatments. Learn from the comfort of your home or office with our comprehensive online Certified Medical Weight Management Provider™ (CWMP) program.
References
The information in this article is based on the following sources:
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