First GLP-1 pill for obesity from Novo Nordisk launches in the U.S.

Novo Nordisk will start rolling out the first-ever GLP-1 pill for weight loss in the U.S. on Monday, the company announced, marking a new chapter of obesity treatment in the U.S. 

The drug’s cash prices are among the lowest on the market, ranging from $149 to $299 per month, depending on the dose. That fuels hopes that pills could help address the long-standing affordability hurdles tied to the weekly injections dominating the weight loss drug market.

The official launch of the oral drug, called the Wegovy pill, comes just two weeks after U.S. regulators cleared the treatment. 

The starting dose of 1.5 milligrams is available at more than 70,000 U.S. pharmacies such as CVS and Costco, as well as select telehealth providers, including Ro, LifeMD, Weight Watchers, GoodRx and Novo Nordisk’s NovoCare Pharmacy. The higher, remaining doses of the pill will be available to patients by the end of the week, Novo Nordisk said. 

Cash-paying patients can pay $149 per month for the starting dose. The 4-milligram dose of the pill will also be available for $149 per month through April 15, then $199 per month after that. 

The highest doses of the Wegovy pill – 9 milligrams and 25 milligrams – will be available for $299 per month. Patients with insurance coverage for the drug can pay as little as $25 per month for the treatment. 

Cash-paying patients will also be able to access the starting dose of the pill for $149 per month on President Donald Trump‘s direct-to-consumer website, TrumpRx, under a deal Novo Nordisk struck with his administration in November. The site also launches in January, though it’s unclear when. 

Novo Nordisk on Monday said the pill’s availability “opens new possibilities” for the more than 100 million Americans living with obesity. 

Injections from Novo Nordisk and its chief rival, Eli Lilly, carry a list price of roughly $1,000 per month. But both companies offer lower cash-pay prices for their shots that range from $299 to $499 monthly, depending on the dose. 

Pills are the next battleground for the two companies, which established the booming GLP-1 space that some analysts say could be worth roughly $100 billion by the 2030s. Goldman Sachs analysts said in August that oral drugs could capture a 24% share — or around $22 billion — of the 2030 global weight loss drug market.

The launch of Novo Nordisk’s daily oral drug on Monday gives the company a clear head start. The Food and Drug Administration approved the treatment on Dec. 22 and will decide whether to clear a rival pill from Eli Lilly later this year. 

The FDA also approved Novo Nordisk’s pill for use to reduce the risk of major cardiovascular events, such as death, heart attack or stroke, in adults with obesity and established cardiovascular disease. 

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