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What is the Wegovy pill?

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 to be taken as a pill instead of via a weekly injection.

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

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.

How does the slimming pill work?

Semaglutide mimics the body's own hormone GLP-1. This helps delay gastric emptying and reduces hunger, allowing you to feel full faster and longer [1].

The mechanism of the Wegovy pill is basically the same as with the weekly injection. The difference is mainly in how the active ingredient is absorbed.

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

To enable oral uptake, the Wegovy pill contains the absorption enhancer SNAC (sodium salcaprozate). SNAC creates local conditions in the stomach that limit the breakdown of semaglutide and support uptake through the stomach wall. This way semaglutide can reach the bloodstream [2].

Higher dosage than the injection

The dosage of the Wegovy pill is therefore higher than that of the injection. Only a small portion of the ingested semaglutide is absorbed from a pill. The pill ultimately contains 25 mg of semaglutide per day, while the maximum dose of the injection is 2.4 mg per week.

The difference in dosage does not mean the pill is stronger.

Results: How effective is the Wegovy pill?

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

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

When only looking at participants who followed the treatment according to the study protocol, the average weight loss was 16.6% [3].

Aside from weight loss, semaglutide also showed a lower risk of serious cardiovascular issues, such as a heart attack or stroke, in the much-discussed SELECT study among people with overweight or obesity and existing cardiovascular diseases [4].

In this study, however, semaglutide was used via weekly injections, not the oral Wegovy treatment. Therefore, the results cannot be directly applied to the Wegovy pill.

Note: Medication can help with weight loss but is part of a broader approach. Diet, exercise, and other lifestyle factors play a crucial role in achieving and maintaining a healthy weight.

Who qualifies for the Wegovy pill?

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

Have a BMI of 30 or higher (obesity), or
Have a BMI between 27 and 30 (overweight) and at least one condition related to your weight, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, or sleep apnea.

The treatment is intended as support for a healthy lifestyle.

Usage and build-up

You must take the Wegovy pill according to specific 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 little water: swallow the tablet whole with no more than half a glass of water (approximately 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 medications during these first 30 minutes.
Gradually build up the dose: start with 1.5 mg per day. The dose can then be gradually increased to 4 mg, 9 mg, and eventually 25 mg. This gradual build-up helps reduce the risk of gastrointestinal complaints.

Other medications in the morning

Do you take another medication, such as levothyroxine, that is also taken on an empty stomach? Discuss with your doctor or pharmacist how best to divide the medications over the morning. Timing can influence medication absorption.

Possible side effects

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

Gastrointestinal complaints mainly occur at the beginning of the treatment and during the dosing build-up [3].

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

When and where is the Wegovy pill available?

The US FDA approved the Wegovy pill on December 22, 2025.

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

Novo Nordisk expects to introduce the pill in several countries during the second half of 2026. No specific launch date is known for the Netherlands at this time.

What does the Wegovy pill cost?

Nothing official is known yet about the price of the Wegovy pill in the Netherlands. Prices may vary by country. For indication: in the United States, the price starts at $149 per month for the lowest dosage without insurance, with an introductory discount [5].

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

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

Medicine prices and reimbursement schemes can vary significantly by country. Novo Nordisk has not yet announced separate US prices for the higher dosages.

Wegovy versus Foundayo: which weight loss pill works better?

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

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

This allows Foundayo to be taken without regard to food or drink. You can take the pill at any time of the day, without needing to be on an empty stomach or having to wait afterward.

Foundayo was approved in the United States on April 1, 2026. In Europe, the medication is currently not approved and therefore not available in the Netherlands. However, Lilly has submitted the medication for evaluation in multiple countries.

Are the two pills equally effective?In the research on the two medications, the weight loss seems to differ somewhat.

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

However, you cannot directly compare these percentages. The medications were not directly tested against each other in the same study, and the studies differed in duration, participants, and design.

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

Wegovy pill via Wellis

At Wellis, we believe that sustainable weight loss revolves around a combination of medical guidance and a healthy lifestyle.

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