Wegovy pill shows strong early uptake, as rival looms

The first data has emerged on the uptake of Novo Nordisk's new oral version of GLP-1 agonist weight-loss therapy Wegovy, with encouraging signs of strong demand as a potential rival from Eli Lilly waits for an FDA decision on approval.

There were 3,071 prescriptions for the Wegovy (semaglutide) pill in its first four days on the market after being approved by the FDA at the end of last year and launched on 5th January, according to IQVIA data shared by analysts and reported by Reuters.

According to Barclays, that figure only covers retail pharmacy sales – not those through Novo Nordisk's own direct-to-consumer channel, NovoCare Pharmacy – so the total number should be higher.

Shares in Novo Nordisk gained on the news, having been in decline through most of 2025 as sales of the company's injectable GLP-1 drugs, including Wegovy, came under pressure from Lilly's rival therapies like Zepbound (tirzepatide). At the same time, Lilly's stock weakened amid reports that an FDA decision on its oral-GLP-1 drug, orforglipron, may be slightly delayed.

Orforglipron could have its review time at the FDA truncated after being granted a national priority voucher from the agency, allowing it to potentially reach the market mere weeks after oral Wegovy despite being filed for approval months later. Lilly said this week that it expects a verdict in the second quarter – later than some market observers were expecting – and there have been suggestions that dates for multiple voucher recipient programmes have been pushed back because of a need to look more closely at safety.

The timeframe still means that orforglipron could be available before access to weight-loss medicines in the US – currently mainly through self-pay sales channels – is broadened to include people covered by Medicare from April.

Both oral drugs could dramatically expand the US market for GLP-1 agonists for weight loss, and Novo Nordisk chief executive, Mike Doustdar, said earlier this week that they could provide options for up to 85 million people, while injectables address a population of around 15 million.

Analysts are predicting both will become multibillion-dollar brands, but there are differing opinions on which will be more successful.

Wegovy has the benefit of brand recognition and what Novo Nordisk has said is weight-loss efficacy that matches injectables, plus it can piggyback on semaglutide data in obesity-related diseases like heart failure and kidney disease. However, it has one potential drawback in that, unlike orforglipron, it needs to be dosed on an empty stomach.

Meanwhile, both companies have said that with prices coming down, broad DTC channels will be the key to achieving sales targets, while the oral therapies could be key to helping people maintain weight loss – given data showing that it can quickly return when GLP-1 drugs are discontinued.

Image by Peggy und Marco Lachmann-Anke from Pixabay