Novo Nordisk debuts oral Wegovy in UAE, marking first international expansion
Novo Nordisk (NYSE:NVO) has launched its oral Wegovy weight loss medication in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), marking the first international rollout of the drug outside the United States.
The launch follows approval from the Emirates Drug Establishment, which authorizes the medication for both weight management and the reduction of major adverse cardiovascular events—such as heart attack and stroke—in adults with obesity or overweight who also have established cardiovascular disease.
The oral formulation represents a significant milestone as the first approved oral GLP-1 receptor agonist for weight management.
Clinical efficacy data from the OASIS 4 trial indicates that a 25 mg daily dose resulted in an approximate 17% mean weight loss among adult participants with obesity or overweight and at least one comorbid health condition.
Additionally, study data showed that approximately one-third of participants achieved weight loss of 20% or more.
The expansion into the UAE is part of a broader strategy to scale access to the drug globally.
Emil Kongshøj Larsen, executive vice president of international operations at Novo Nordisk, identified three core requirements for the selection of subsequent markets: robust patient demand, clinician readiness, and the capacity of local healthcare and telehealth systems to support long-term obesity treatment.
The company noted that the UAE met these criteria, and it intends to introduce the pill to additional selected countries before the end of the year.
The UAE launch follows a successful U.S. debut in January, where the drug recorded over 2 million prescriptions and generated 2.26 billion Danish kroner ($353.6 million) in first-quarter revenue.
This performance significantly exceeded analyst expectations, leading the company to raise its full-year financial guidance.
The launch intensifies competition in the burgeoning weight loss market, particularly as Novo Nordisk contests market share with Eli Lilly’s oral obesity medication, Foundayo, which entered the U.S. market in April. While Novo Nordisk has published cross-trial analyses suggesting superior weight reduction for its medication compared to Foundayo, no head-to-head clinical trials have been conducted to date.
The urgency for effective obesity treatments remains high; Novo Nordisk estimates that 1 billion people live with obesity globally. In the UAE specifically, the condition affects approximately 28% of the adult population, with current projections suggesting that the number of people living with obesity or overweight in the country could reach 7.5 million by 2035.
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