A new once-a-day weight loss pill from Novo Nordisk has achieved impressive results in a major clinical study.
The oral drug, called semaglutide 25 mg, is a tablet version of Wegovy—the well-known injectable medication for obesity.
In the study, adults who took the pill lost an average of 16.6% of their body weight, and about one in three people lost 20% or more.
The results were published in The New England Journal of Medicine as part of the OASIS 4 phase 3 trial. The findings show that the new oral drug is as effective as the injectable version of Wegovy, giving people with obesity a more convenient way to manage their weight without daily injections.
The 64-week study involved 307 adults who were either obese or overweight and had at least one weight-related health condition such as high blood pressure or high cholesterol, but did not have diabetes.
Participants received either oral semaglutide 25 mg or a placebo, along with lifestyle counseling and diet changes. Those who took the real drug lost an average of 16.6% of their weight compared with 2.7% in the placebo group. More than one-third of the participants who took the pill lost 20% or more of their body weight.
Even when accounting for participants who did not strictly follow the treatment plan, the semaglutide group still showed an average weight loss of 13.6%, while the placebo group lost only 2.2%.
Along with weight loss, participants reported major improvements in physical function—such as easier walking, standing, and bending—and better cardiovascular health indicators.
Novo Nordisk’s Chief Scientific Officer, Martin Holst Lange, said the results are “compelling evidence for an oral weight management medication.” He explained that many people prefer pills over injections, and this new option could encourage more patients to begin treatment.
Currently, less than 2% of people with obesity in the U.S. use prescription weight-loss drugs. Novo Nordisk has already submitted the new pill for approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as the first oral GLP-1 therapy designed for long-term weight management.
The OASIS 4 study also confirmed that side effects of the oral drug were similar to those of injectable Wegovy. The most common were nausea and vomiting, usually mild or moderate and temporary. Nausea affected about 47% of those taking semaglutide, compared to 19% taking placebo.
Vomiting occurred in about 31% of semaglutide users versus 6% of placebo users. Serious side effects were actually less common in the semaglutide group (3.9%) compared with placebo (8.8%), showing that the drug remains safe overall.
The pill uses the same active ingredient as Wegovy injections—semaglutide—which mimics a natural hormone called GLP-1. This hormone helps regulate appetite, slows digestion, and makes people feel full for longer.
Wegovy injections have already been shown to lower the risk of major heart problems such as heart attack and stroke in people with obesity or overweight and heart disease.
Dr. Sean Wharton, lead author of the study and medical director of the Wharton Medical Clinic in Canada, said the results represent “a major step forward in obesity care.” He noted that oral semaglutide offers the same proven benefits as injections but with easier daily use. This could help reach people who are hesitant about needles or prefer a more convenient form of treatment.
Obesity is now recognized as a chronic medical condition caused by a mix of biological, genetic, social, and environmental factors—not just willpower.
Effective long-term treatments like semaglutide are important because lifestyle changes alone often aren’t enough for sustained weight loss. Experts believe that giving patients both lifestyle guidance and medication greatly improves results.
If approved, Wegovy in pill form could be available in the U.S. as early as late 2025. Novo Nordisk has already begun production at its U.S. facilities to ensure an adequate supply once approval is granted. This development could reshape the future of weight management by making powerful obesity treatments easier to access and use.
The new study also reinforces that semaglutide continues to have one of the best safety and efficacy records in obesity medicine, with more than 37 million patient-years of use worldwide.
For many people struggling with weight-related health issues, the availability of a once-daily pill could mark the beginning of a new era in obesity treatment—simpler, safer, and more effective than ever before.
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The study is published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
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