Wegovy® pil: werkt het echt? Dit zeggen de resultaten

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

The research 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 is from the STEP 1 study.

They involved 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. Do you prefer as few moments as possible when you need 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, 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.

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.

Once the Wegovy pill is also available in the Netherlands, our doctors can assess whether this treatment fits your situation. If you qualify, we assist you in building up the dose and support you in adjusting your diet and lifestyle.

Do you want to know now which treatment options suit you? Then fill out our short medical questionnaire.

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

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

It is the first GLP-1 treatment for overweight where you do not need to inject.

For those who prefer not to use a weekly injection, a daily tablet can be attractive. For someone who wants to be as little involved with medication as possible, a weekly injection may remain more practical.

And how does the pill compare to other new weight-loss medication, such as Foundayo? More studies are needed for that. The initial results are interesting, but you cannot just compare different studies side by side.

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

Is the Wegovy pill as effective as the injection?

The results seem comparable at first glance, but we cannot directly compare the two treatments. In the OASIS-4 study, participants who used the Wegovy® pill lost an average of 13.6% of their body weight after 64 weeks. In the STEP 1 study, the 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 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 drug and is only available through a doctor and a licensed pharmacy. Do not buy the medication from websites that offer Wegovy without a prescription. There is a risk with illegal suppliers that you may receive an unreliable or counterfeit product.

Can I combine the Wegovy pill with other medications?

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

Can I start directly with 25 mg?

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

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

That is possible. Research on the weekly semaglutide injection shows that a significant part of the lost weight can return after stopping. To prevent that, it is important not to stop too quickly and to do so under the supervision of your doctor. And only stop if you have created a healthy lifestyle.