Drugmaker Novo Nordisk said on the 5th (local time) that it has begun U.S. sales of the oral version (pill) of its obesity drug "Wegovy."
Wegovy is an obesity treatment in the GLP-1 analog class that mimics the glucagon-like peptide (GLP)-1 hormone, which promotes insulin secretion and slows digestion. This is the first oral GLP-1 obesity drug. It is a once-daily pill; the starting dose of 1.5 mg costs $149 (about 215,000 won) for a month, about $5 (about 7,000 won) per day.
The oral Wegovy won approval for a weight-loss indication from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on the 22nd. It was also cleared to reduce the risk of death, heart attack and stroke, in addition to treating obesity. It contains the same semaglutide ingredient as the existing injection. In the clinical trial that supported approval, patients who continued taking the oral Wegovy showed an average weight loss of about 17%, and the overall patient average was 13.6%.
The company said it has also ramped up production in North Carolina. The oral Wegovy will be supplied through major U.S. pharmacies such as CVS and Costco, certain telehealth platforms including Ro and LifeMD, and Novo Nordisk's direct sales channel "NovoCare Pharmacy."
U.S. market prices vary by stepwise dose. The company said the 1.5 mg and 4 mg doses will be $149 per month through Apr. 15, after which the 4 mg dose will rise to $199 per month (about 288,000 won). The high-dose product is set at $299 per month. The maximum maintenance dose is 25 mg. Foreign media noted that private insurance enrollees may be able to reduce their monthly out-of-pocket cost to as low as $25 by using savings programs.
Novo Nordisk said, "The share of people with obesity receiving prescription treatment in the United States remains low," adding, "Oral Wegovy will lower the barrier to obesity treatment."
On the news, Novo Nordisk shares closed up 2.72% from the previous day, while shares of its biggest rival, Eli Lilly and Company, closed down 3.6%. The move was interpreted as a result of Novo Nordisk commercializing one step ahead of Eli Lilly and Company. Both companies pursued development of oral obesity drugs to address aversion to injections, refrigeration and production expense burdens, and to expand access to obesity treatment. Eli Lilly and Company is currently seeking FDA approval for its own oral obesity drug candidate, "Orforglipron."