The UK has approved a new daily weight-management pill version of Wegovy, in a major shift in obesity treatment and offering an oral alternative to injectable GLP-1 therapies for adults.

 

The UK’s medicines regulator, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), has authorised Wegovy pill (semaglutide tablets) for adults living with obesity or overweight with at least one weight-related condition. 

 

The treatment is a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist designed to be used alongside a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity.

 

Approval is based on results from the phase 3 OASIS 4 clinical trial. 

 

The data show substantial weight loss compared with placebo over 64 weeks. When evaluating the effect of treatment regardless of adherence, adults with obesity receiving semaglutide tablets 25 mg achieved ~14% (13.6%) weight loss vs ~2% (2.4%) with placebo after 64 weeks, in addition to lifestyle modifications. 

 

Results showed that if all participants adhered to treatment, semaglutide 25 mg achieved weight loss of ~17% (16.6%) vs ~3% (2.7%) placebo after 64 weeks.

 

The study enrolled 307 adults with obesity or overweight and at least one weight-related condition, excluding people with diabetes. Gastrointestinal side effects were the most commonly reported, including nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea, affecting 74.0% of participants in the oral semaglutide group compared with 42.2% on placebo. 

 

These effects were generally mild to moderate and temporary. Adverse events leading to discontinuation occurred in ~7% (6.9%) of participants receiving oral semaglutide.

 

“This marks an important milestone for obesity care in the UK,” said Sebnem Avsar Tuna, general manager at Novo Nordisk UK. “For the first time, people living with obesity have access to a GLP-1 treatment in a daily pill, allowing them the choice and flexibility of oral treatment to support their long-term weight management.”

 

Professor Naveed Sattar, Professor of Cardiometabolic Medicine at the University of Glasgow, said: "The approval of the once-daily oral form of Wegovy (semaglutide) is welcome news for people living with obesity, particularly those who would prefer not to use injections. 

 

"Expanding the range of effective treatments is important in helping people sustainably reduce caloric intakes within an increasingly obesogenic environment. With obesity rates in the UK now at very high levels, and associated with substantial multimorbidity, additional treatment options for sustained weight loss are greatly needed.”

 

“This is a landmark approval, making the UK the first country in Europe to approve Wegovy pill,” said Emil Kongshøj Larsen, executive vice president, International Operations, Novo Nordisk. 

 

“Today, around 15 million people in the UK are living with obesity, yet only a small proportion of them have access to treatment, and we hope this approval supports increasing access to obesity care in the UK. With the introduction of this option for weight management, we have an opportunity to support many more eligible patients. Most importantly, this gives patients another option — one that may fit their lives and help them reach their health goals.”

 

Novo Nordisk has previously said it plans to launch Wegovy pill in select markets in the second half of 2026. The MHRA is the third regulatory authority to license the medicine, following approvals from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Emirates Drug Establishment.

 

The OASIS 4 trial included two pre-specified analyses: an on-treatment analysis assessing outcomes if all participants remained on treatment, and a treatment policy analysis reflecting outcomes regardless of treatment discontinuation.

 

The result signals a growing shift in obesity care toward more flexible treatment options beyond injections—while still relying on GLP-1 science that has already reshaped the field.