What is Oral Wegovy?
Oral Wegovy is a weight loss treatment currently available in the US, which is expected to be available in the UK some time in 2026. Like injectable Wegovy, it’s a GLP-1 medication containing the active ingredient semaglutide.
But unlike injectable Wegovy, which you administer once a week into your skin, oral Wegovy is a tablet you take once a day. This might be better for you if you prefer to swallow rather than inject your medication. It’s also less expensive than injectable Wegovy in the US, although we don’t yet know for sure whether that will also be the case elsewhere.
When will the Wegovy pill be available in the UK?
The MHRA (Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Agency) is currently reviewing the Wegovy pill, and a decision is widely anticipated by mid-to-late 2026. As a result, it’s expected to be available by late 2026.[1]
How does the Wegovy pill work?
Oral Wegovy works pretty much exactly like the injectable version.
Its active ingredient is semaglutide (a synthetic version of a hormone your body produces naturally called GLP-1). GLP-1 works by sending signals to an area of your brain that’s responsible for appetite. Here, it dampens hunger signals and makes you feel fuller, helping to reduce ‘food noise’.
It also slows down the rate at which food leaves your stomach, meaning food stays in your digestive tract for longer. This means you feel physically full for longer after eating.[2]
How effective is the Wegovy pill?
In clinical trials, oral Wegovy has proven to be just as effective as the weekly injection, provided it’s taken correctly.
Data from the OASIS 1 clinical trial (which tested the 50mg daily pill) and OASIS 4 (25mg pill) show that patients achieve significant, life-changing weight loss.
Here are the results (as average percentage of starting weight):[3][4]
|
Oral Wegovy (50mg) |
Injectable Wegovy (2.4mg) |
| Average weight loss |
~15.1% |
~14.9% |
| With “perfect” adherence |
~17.4% |
~15-16% |
| Lost >10% of body weight |
69% of patients |
~70% of patients |
| Lost >20% of body weight |
34% of patients |
~32% of patients |
(Results achieved over 68 weeks in combination with diet and exercise.)
What doses will oral Wegovy be available in?
Oral Wegovy is designed with a ‘step-up’ (titration) schedule to allow your body to adjust to the medication. Because oral semaglutide has very low bioavailability (meaning only a tiny fraction of it is absorbed), the doses are much higher than the weekly injections.
Based on clinical guidelines and the recent US launch, the oral tablets will most likely follow this schedule:
- Days 1-30: 1.5 mg (the starting dose)
- Days 31-60: 4 mg (titration dose)
- Days 61-90: 9 mg (titration dose)
- Days 91+: 25 mg (the standard maintenance dose for most patients)
A 50 mg dose was used in the OASIS 1 trials but isn’t currently licensed or prescribed.
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