US regulators approved a pill form of the obesity drug Wegovy.
The injectable forms have revolutionized weight loss treatment since 2021: Patients lose on average over 15% of their body mass, compared to 2% for prescribed diet and exercise.
The rise of GLP-1 drugs is credited with ending the hitherto relentless rise of US obesity rates. It also, for a time, made manufacturer Novo Nordisk Europe’s biggest company by market cap. But rivals such as Eli Lilly released competitor drugs, and Novo’s value is down 67% from its 2024 peak.
The company hopes that the oral form — which is almost as effective as the injectable type, unlike the only currently approved GLP-1 pill — will revive its flagging fortunes.
