Wegovy pill: Understanding the new oral GLP-1 weight loss pill

Wegovy pill dosages

The Wegovy pill available in the US comes in 4 doses:

• 1.5mg
• 4mg
• 9mg
• 25mg

This is similar to Wegovy injections, where you have a starting dose and then you slowly increase your dose up to the maximum daily dose if you want to. Wegovy tablets do not come in the same doses as the injection, because the tablet is absorbed into the body in a different way, meaning different doses are needed to get the best effect.

The manufacturer of Wegovy, Novo Nordisk, has also trialled a 50mg semaglutide tablet for weight loss. It’s not clear yet if this dose will become available in the UK in the future.

How do you take semaglutide tablets?

Wegovy tablets are taken once a day. They are swallowed whole and cannot be split or crushed.

You should take Wegovy pills:

Wegovy tablets dosage schedule

Wegovy tablets are started on the lowest dose, and then you will move up to higher doses after at least 30 days.

Dose increases need to be approved by a doctor. They can help you make sure you’re on the right dose for you. You may want to stay on a lower dose if higher doses give you side effects, or you are happy with your weight loss without a dose increase.

The Wegovy pill may become available in the UK for weight loss in summer 2026. They are currently available in the US, and studies show they are safe and effective.

Before Wegovy tablets can be offered in the UK, they must first be approved by the Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Agency (MHRA). If the MHRA does approve them, they can then be made available for healthcare providers in the UK to offer to patients.

It’s not clear whether Wegovy pills would be available on the NHS. However, Wegovy injections are currently available on the NHS.

If the NHS do offer semaglutide tablets for weight loss, it’s likely they would have the same prescribing criteria as for Wegovy. Meaning they would only offer them if you:

• have already tried other weight loss methods
• have been referred to a weight management specialist
• meet the NHS BMI criteria for treatment

It’s not possible to tell how much Wegovy pills will cost when they become available in the UK for weight loss. In the US, Wegovy pills cost between $150 and $300 or around £110 to £220. The cost will depend on the price the manufacturer sets for the UK market and availability.

If the Wegovy pill becomes available for weight loss on the NHS, it may then be offered for the standard prescription fee of £9.90, or for free if you do not pay for your prescriptions.

Wegovy tablets have been shown to be effective at supporting weight loss compared to a placebo (a pill with no medication in). Studies of Wegovy tablets show:

• average starting weight loss of 14%
• 76% of people lose at least 5% of their starting weight
• 60% of people lose 10% of their starting weight
• 47% of people lose 15% of their starting weight
• 28% of people lose 20% of their starting weight

Even though Wegovy injections and tablets both have the same active ingredient, they do not work exactly the same. While they still have the same effect on appetite and fullness, because injections and tablets get medication into the body in different ways, this can affect how well the medication works.

Effect on weight loss

Overall, Wegovy (semaglutide) injections are more effective than Wegovy tablets, although it's important to note that the tablets were studied for 4 weeks less than injections. Both are still effective medications, but injections lead to slightly more weight loss overall.

*data comes from the OASIS 4 trial of semaglutide tablets

**data taken from the emc’s Summary of Product Characteristics for Wegovy

There are a number of other weight loss treatments available in the UK to compare Wegovy pills to, including Mounjaro injections and other weight loss tablets.

Wegovy pills vs Mounjaro

Mounjaro is a similar medication to Wegovy, except it has a dual action for lowering appetite. Mounjaro is both a GLP-1 and a GIP agonist, but Wegovy is only a GLP-1 agonist. Mounjaro and Wegovy injections have a very similar effectiveness at the highest doses, but like Wegovy injections, Mounjaro is more effective than Wegovy tablets.

*data comes from the OASIS 4 trial of semaglutide tablets

**data taken from the emc’s Summary of Product Characteristics for Mounjaro

Wegovy pills vs orlistat

Compared to Wegovy, orlistat does not lower your appetite. Instead, orlistat blocks your body from absorbing some of the fat you eat. This reduces the calories you take in through fat, helping you reach a calorie deficit and lose weight.

Overall, Wegovy pills have higher weight loss results, but it’s difficult to fully compare, as orlistat studies are much shorter in length. This is because, unlike Wegovy, which is a long-term medication, orlistat is usually taken for 6 months to a year.

*data comes from the OASIS 4 trial of semaglutide tablets

**data taken from the emc’s Summary of Product Characteristics for Xenical (orlistat)

Wegovy pills vs Mysimba

Mysimba also reduces appetite, as Wegovy does. However, Mysimba works slightly differently. It contains 2 ingredients, naltrexone and bupropion, which affect the parts of your brain that control appetite and reward pathways that make overeating pleasurable.

Wegovy pills have higher weight loss results, but it’s difficult to compare fully as Wegovy tablets were studied for 12 weeks longer.

*data comes from the OASIS 4 trial of semaglutide tablets

**data taken from the emc’s Summary of Product Characteristics for Mysimba

Like all medications, Wegovy can cause side effects for some people. These are normally mild and go away on their own as your body gets used to the medication. Side effects usually happen when you first start treatment, or after you increase your dose.

Common Wegovy pill side effects include:

• feeling sick (nausea)
• throwing up (vomiting)
• diarrhoea
• constipation
• a runny nose or sore throat
• low blood sugar
• gas
• stomach pain
• heartburn
• burping
• bloating
• feeling dizzy
• feeling tired
• headache

If the medication is approved in the UK, a full list of side effects will be provided.

Since Wegovy pills for weight loss are not yet available, it’s not clear exactly who will be eligible. However, it may be likely that the same criteria are used for tablets that are used for Wegovy injections, which are also used in the US. These include:

• a BMI of 30 or more
• a BMI of 27 or more if you have a health-related condition, like high blood pressure

It’s also likely that Wegovy tablets will have similar restrictions to injections based on things like existing health conditions or other medications, such as if you:

• are pregnant or trying to get pregnant
• are breastfeeding
• have ever had a serious allergic reaction to any of the ingredients in Wegovy, especially semaglutide
• have diabetic retinopathy
• have a history of pancreatitis
• have severe, congestive heart failure
• have kidney problems
• have diabetes
• have inflammation of your pancreas
• have low blood sugar levels (hypoglycaemia)