Wegovy Pill Users Continue Losing Weight After Switching From Shots

A real-world study found patients switching from obesity injections to Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy pill lost an average 4.1% body weight over three months.

Patients who switched from injectable weight-loss medicines to Novo Nordisk’s daily Wegovy pill continued to lose weight, according to new real-world study data presented at a medical meeting in Milan, Italy.

The study, involving 194 patients, found that participants lost an average of 4.1% of their body weight during the three months after moving from injectable obesity treatments to oral semaglutide, the active ingredient in Wegovy and Ozempic.

The findings were presented Wednesday at the European Association for the Study of Diabetes meeting. The research was conducted in collaboration with U.S. telehealth company Ro and examined how patients responded after changing from injectable obesity medicines, including Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy and Eli Lilly’s Zepbound, to the daily Wegovy pill.

The results come as pharmaceutical companies increasingly compete in the growing market for oral obesity treatments. Novo Nordisk, a Danish drugmaker, has been seeking to strengthen its position against U.S.-based rival Eli Lilly, whose Zepbound injection has become a major competitor in the obesity-drug market.

The new pill has provided some relief for Novo Nordisk after the company experienced a major decline in its market value. Novo’s shares have fallen more than 70% from their peak after the company became Europe’s most valuable listed company following the 2021 launch of injectable Wegovy for weight loss.

Oral obesity medicines are becoming increasingly popular in the United States. Company presentations earlier this month indicated that pills now represent about one-third of U.S. obesity prescriptions. Novo Nordisk said it had captured more than 80% of new prescriptions for oral obesity treatments.

The Wegovy pill is currently available in the United States, Britain, Germany and the United Arab Emirates, while the company plans to expand availability to additional markets.

Novo Nordisk CEO Mike Doustdar recently told Reuters that weight-loss pills could eventually account for as much as half of the global obesity-drug market. Analysts estimate that the global obesity-drug market could reach $100 billion or more annually by the end of the decade.

However, researchers noted that the new findings have limitations. Because the study reflects real-world medical practice, some information depends on patient self-reporting. Unlike randomized clinical trials, the study cannot establish a direct cause-and-effect relationship.

The findings nevertheless provide new information about weight changes among patients transitioning from injectable obesity treatments to oral semaglutide.