Patients switching from Wegovy injections to Novo's pill version kept losing weight, real-world study finds

People who switched from injectable Wegovy to Novo Nordisk's oral version of the drug continued to lose weight in a real-world study, according to a report by CNBC. The findings suggest that patients being treated with the popular obesity medication may not need to remain on weekly injections indefinitely, and could instead transition to a more convenient pill-based regimen.

Wegovy, Novo Nordisk's branded version of semaglutide, has become one of the most widely used drugs for chronic weight management since its approval, typically administered as a weekly injection. The company has also been developing an oral formulation of the same active ingredient, aimed at patients who prefer not to inject themselves or who are looking for an easier way to continue treatment over the long term.

The real-world data reported by CNBC indicate that patients who moved from the injectable form to the pill did not see their weight loss stall or reverse, continuing to lose weight after the switch. This is notable because oral formulations of GLP-1 drugs like semaglutide have historically faced absorption challenges compared with injections, and questions have remained about whether they can sustain the same results over time.

The results could have implications for how doctors and patients approach long-term obesity treatment, potentially easing one of the barriers, needle aversion and the inconvenience of weekly injections, that can affect adherence to GLP-1 therapies. Novo Nordisk has been competing with rivals in the fast-growing obesity drug market, and an effective oral option could broaden the pool of patients willing to start or continue treatment.

CNBC's report did not detail the size or design of the study, and further peer-reviewed data would be needed to confirm the findings across a broader patient population.