Novo Nordisk A/S (NASDAQ:NVO) received U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval on Monday for the first oral version of its blockbuster weight-loss medication Wegovy, setting the stage for a January launch that will bypass traditional insurance hurdles.
The approval of the 25 mg daily pill marks a watershed moment in the obesity market, transitioning the high-demand GLP-1 therapy from a weekly injection to a more convenient oral tablet.
The Danish drugmaker is moving aggressively to reclaim market share from U.S. rival Eli Lilly & Co., which is awaiting a regulatory decision on its own weight-loss pill, orforglipron, expected by March 2026.
To turbocharge adoption, Novo is debuting a "self-pay" strategy that targets the growing segment of consumers willing to pay out-of-pocket for effective treatments.
Under a landmark agreement reached with the Trump administration in November, Novo will offer starter doses of the Wegovy pill for $149 per month to Medicare, Medicaid, and cash-paying patients.
The medication will be distributed through a sprawling network of retail pharmacies—including CVS and Walmart—and digital health platforms such as Ro, GoodRx, and WeightWatchers.
The pivot to cash-pay channels comes as the share of Wegovy prescriptions paid for without insurance has already doubled into the double digits this year.