Wegovy® pill: does it really work? Here’s what the results say

The Wegovy pill contains the active ingredient semaglutide, a GLP-1 receptor agonist. It is the first GLP-1 treatment for weight management in the EU that is taken as a pill instead of via a weekly injection.

The treatment is intended for adults with obesity, or with overweight combined with at least one weight-related condition.

Please note:The Wegovy pill is not the same as Rybelsus. Both contain semaglutide, but they are approved for different uses. Rybelsus is intended for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, while the Wegovy pill is specifically approved for weight management.

Semaglutide mimics the body’s own hormone GLP-1. This helps slow down stomach emptying and reduces feelings of hunger, so you can feel full sooner and for longer [1].

The way the Wegovy pill works is essentially the same as the weekly injection. The difference lies mainly in how the active ingredient is absorbed.

Semaglutide is a peptide. Peptides can be broken down in the gastrointestinal tract by digestive enzymes, so only a small part of the active ingredient reaches the bloodstream.

To make oral absorption possible, the Wegovy pill contains the absorption enhancer SNAC (salcaprozate sodium). SNAC creates local conditions in the stomach that limit the breakdown of semaglutide and support absorption through the stomach wall. This allows semaglutide to enter the bloodstream [2].

Higher dose than the injection

The dose of the Wegovy pill is therefore higher than that of the injection. With a pill, only a small part of the semaglutide taken is absorbed. The pill ultimately contains 25 mg of semaglutide per day, while the maximum dose of the injection is 2.4 mg per week.

So the difference in dose does not mean the pill is stronger.

In the OASIS-4 study, 307 adults who were overweight or had obesity, without diabetes, were followed for 64 weeks [3].

Participants who took 25 mg of semaglutide daily lost on average 13.6% of their body weight, compared to 2.2% in the placebo group.

When only participants who followed the treatment according to the study protocol were considered, average weight loss came to 16.6% [3].

In addition to weight loss, semaglutide also showed a lower risk of serious cardiovascular events, such as a heart attack or stroke, in the widely discussed SELECT study, in people who were overweight or had obesity and existing cardiovascular disease [4].

In this study, however, semaglutide was used via weekly injections, not the oral Wegovy treatment. The results can therefore not be directly extrapolated to the Wegovy pill.

Please note: Medication can help with weight loss, but it is part of a broader approach. Nutrition, exercise and other lifestyle factors play an important role in achieving and maintaining a healthy weight.

The Wegovy pill is intended for adults with obesity or overweight. You are eligible if you:

• Have a BMI of 30 or higher (obesity), or

• Have a BMI of 27 to 30 (overweight) and also at least one condition related to your weight, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease or sleep apnoea.

The treatment is intended to support a healthy lifestyle.

You need to take the Wegovy pill according to fixed instructions. This is important for proper absorption of semaglutide.

• Once a day on an empty stomach:take the tablet on an empty stomach.

• With a small amount of water:swallow the tablet whole with no more than half a glass of water (about 120 ml). Do not use other drinks.

• Then wait at least 30 minutes:do not eat or drink anything and do not take any other oral medicines during these first 30 minutes.

• Build up the dose gradually:you start with 1.5 mg per day. The dose can then be gradually increased to 4 mg, 9 mg and finally 25 mg. This gradual build-up helps reduce the chance of gastrointestinal complaints.

Other medicines in the morning

Do you take another medicine, such as levothyroxine, that also has to be taken on an empty stomach? Then discuss with your doctor or pharmacist how best to space the medicines out over the morning. Timing can affect how medicines are absorbed.

The most common side effects of the Wegovy pill are gastrointestinal complaints, such as nausea, diarrhoea, constipation, abdominal pain and vomiting. These complaints are also seen with the injectable form of semaglutide.

Gastrointestinal complaints occur mainly at the start of the treatment and while building up the dose [3].

In the OASIS-4 study, a large proportion of participants experienced gastrointestinal complaints [3]. The complaints were usually mild to moderate. If you have severe or persistent complaints, contact your doctor.

The American FDA approved the Wegovy pill on 22 December 2025.

On 15 July 2026, approval by the European Commission followed. This made Wegovy the first oral GLP-1 treatment for weight management to be approved in the European Union [6].

Novo Nordisk expects to introduce the pill in several countries in the second half of 2026. For the Netherlands, no concrete launch date is known at this time.

Nothing official is known yet about the price of the Wegovy pill in the Netherlands. The price may differ per country. As an indication: in the United States, the price without insurance starts at 149 dollars per month for the lowest dose, with an introductory discount [5].

In Germany, where the pill is available from September 2026, the price starts at around €247 per month.

The American and German prices only give an indication of what the pill may cost in the Netherlands and other countries.

Medicine prices and reimbursement schemes can differ considerably per country. Novo Nordisk has also not yet announced separate American prices for the higher doses.

The pill and the injection contain the same active ingredient, but differ in how you use them. You take the pill every day on an empty stomach, while you use the injection once a week.

The study results cannot be compared one to one. The average weight loss of 13.6% with the pill comes from OASIS-4, while the 14.9% for the injection comes from the STEP 1 study.

These were different studies with different participants and study designs.

Which form is suitable depends, among other things, on your preference, daily routine and medical situation. Do you find injecting unpleasant? Then a daily pill may be attractive. Would you rather have as few moments as possible when you have to think about your medication? Then a weekly injection may be more practical.

Besides the Wegovy pill, there is a second oral GLP-1 treatment for weight loss: Foundayo, from Eli Lilly.

The active ingredient is orforglipron. Unlike semaglutide, orforglipron is not a peptide but a so-called small molecule.

This means Foundayo can be taken without regard to food or drink. You can take the pill at any time of day, without having to fast or wait afterwards.

Foundayo was approved in the United States on 1 April 2026. In Europe, the medicine is not yet approved and therefore not available in the Netherlands. Lilly has, however, submitted the medicine for review in several countries.

Are the two pills equally effective?In the studies of the two medicines, weight loss appears to differ somewhat.

In the OASIS-4 study, the Wegovy pill led to an average of 13.6% weight loss after 64 weeks. In the 72-week ATTAIN-1 study, the group taking the highest dose of Foundayo lost on average 11.1% of their body weight. When only participants who continued the treatment according to the study protocol were counted, average weight loss came to 12.4%.

However, these percentages cannot be compared directly. The medicines were not tested head to head in the same study, and the studies differed in, among other things, duration, participants and study design.

It is therefore too early to conclude from these figures that the Wegovy pill works better than Foundayo.

At Wellis, we believe sustainable weight loss is about a combination of medical guidance and a healthy lifestyle.

In Germany, the Wegovy pill is now available via Wellis on pre-order. In the Netherlands, the pill is not yet available.

As soon as the Wegovy pill is also available in the Netherlands, our doctors can assess whether this treatment suits your situation. If you are eligible, we guide you through building up the dose and support you in adjusting your diet and lifestyle.

Want to know now which treatment options suit you?Then fill in our short medical questionnaire.

The Wegovy pill is a new option in the treatment of overweight.

The OASIS-4 study shows that 25 mg of oral semaglutide daily can lead to considerable weight loss: participants lost on average 13.6% of their body weight after 64 weeks.

It is the first GLP-1 treatment for overweight that doesn’t require injecting.

For those who would rather not use a weekly injection, a daily tablet may be attractive. For someone who wants to spend as little time as possible thinking about medication, a weekly injection may remain more practical.

And how does the pill compare to other new weight-loss medication, such as Foundayo? More research is needed for that. The first results are interesting, but you can’t simply place different studies side by side.

Ultimately, it’s not just about how many kilos you can lose, but also about which treatment suits your body, health and daily life. A doctor can assess together with you which option fits best.

Is the Wegovy pill as effective as the injection?

At first glance the results look comparable, but we cannot compare the two treatments directly. In the OASIS-4 study, participants taking the Wegovy® pill lost on average 13.6% of their body weight after 64 weeks. In the STEP 1 study, average weight loss with the weekly injection was 14.9% after 68 weeks [1,3]. However, the studies differed in participants, study design and duration. Based on these figures, you therefore cannot conclude that the pill is exactly as effective as the injection.

Can I buy the Wegovy pill without a prescription?

No. The Wegovy pill is a prescription medicine and is only available through a doctor and a registered pharmacy. So don’t buy it from websites offering Wegovy without a prescription. With illegal sellers, there is a risk of receiving an unreliable or counterfeit product.

Can I combine the Wegovy pill with other medicines?

That depends on the medicines you take. Because you take the Wegovy pill on an empty stomach and then have to wait at least 30 minutes before taking other oral medicines, timing can be important. This is relevant, for example, if you take levothyroxine. So discuss with your doctor or pharmacist whether the medicines can be combined and, if so, how best to spread them over the day.

Can I start straight away with 25 mg?

No. You start with a low dose and build it up step by step to 25 mg per day. The Wegovy pill is available in doses of 1.5, 4, 9 and 25 mg. By increasing the dose gradually, the treatment is better tolerated and the chance of gastrointestinal complaints is reduced.

Will I regain weight if I stop taking the Wegovy pill?

You might. Research into the weekly semaglutide injection shows that a considerable part of the lost weight can return after stopping. To prevent this, it’s important not to stop too soon, and to do so under the guidance of your doctor. And only to stop once you have created a healthy lifestyle.