Thousands of people across the UK have successfully used Wegovy and Mounjaro as weekly injections to help them lose weight, but soon there will be another, arguably more accessible way of supplementing weight loss. After a successful launch in the United States, a once-daily Wegovy Pill (oral semaglutide) is scheduled to arrive in the United Kingdom later this year, following an official safety review from the UK’s medical regulators, the MHRA. Here, we break down everything you need to know about the new weight-loss pill, comparing it to the Wegovy injection, how it works, its expected price point and, perhaps most importantly, when you’ll be able to realistically get it in the UK.

Semaglutide, the active ingredient inside Wegovy, was initially developed by the Danish multinational pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk to treat type 2 diabetes. It works exactly the same way as the Wegovy injection, namely mimicking a natural hormone your body produces after you eat, called GLP-1. However, in pill form, it’s arguably far easier and more accessible, especially for those who may not like the idea of having to use an injectable.

To stop the tablet from being destroyed by the stomach acid, the Wegovy pill uses a special protective coating called SNAC. Once swallowed, this coating shields the tablet from your stomach acid, allowing it to safely pass through the stomach wall and into the bloodstream, where it can begin its work. Note: this is why it's incredibly important to take the tablet whole (rather than crushing or halving it) in order for it to be most effective.

Once absorbed, it acts exactly like GLP-1 - namely, helping to amplify and elongate a feeling of natural “fullness” after you eat. It achieves this in three ways:

Stops "Food Noise": Speaks to the appetite centres in your brain to turn down constant hunger and reduce intrusive cravings.

Keeps You Fuller for Longer: Slows down your digestion, which means food stays in your stomach a little bit longer - helping you feel satisfied for hours after eating smaller meals.

Prevents Sugar Crashes: Helps your body manage blood sugar levels smoothly - minimising sugar spikes and crashes, which in turn staves off afternoon cravings for high-sugar snacks.

The excitement behind the Wegovy pill comes from a global clinical trial called the OASIS-4 trial, which tested the daily tablet in adults with overweight or obesity. In this study, 307 participants were randomly assigned to receive either the Wegovy pill (oral semaglutide 25 mg) or a placebo once per day, alongside lifestyle intervention, for around 64 weeks.

The results were striking:

Average Weight Loss: People taking the daily tablet lost an average of 16.6% of their total body weight when adhering to treatment, compared to around 2.7% in the placebo group

High Success Rates: Around 87.3% of people on the pill lost at least 5% of their starting weight, and roughly one in three achieved 20% or more weight loss. In comparison, only a small proportion of the placebo group reached these thresholds, with around 3% losing 20% or more of their body weight

The clinicians concluded from the study that taking a 25 mg dose of the Wegovy pill once daily “resulted in a greater mean reduction in body weight than placebo in participants with overweight or obesity”.

The active ingredient may be the same, but both different forms of Wegovy require slightly different routines. Below, we’ve pulled together the major differences.

Novo Nordisk is yet to confirm the official UK retail price, however, as the Wegovy pill is already out in the US, we can start to build an idea of what to expect when it does. It’s worth saying that the UK private weight-loss clinics do not mimic US prices directly, however, we’d expect the ratio between the two products to be the same.

The official "list price" for a 30-day supply of Wegovy tablets is identical to the injection—sitting at roughly $1,350 per month. However, given that the US market relies heavily on pharmacy programmes and manufacturer discounts, virtually no one pays the list price. In fact, uninsured US patients pay a discounted rate of around $149 per month, rising to $299 per month if higher doses for long-term weight-loss are required.

Given that the fact that pills are priced at the same cost as the Wegovy pen injectable, we'd expect the Wegovy pill to start at around the same as the lowest strength of Wegovy, which is the 0.25mg. The costs will then scale to between £140-£190 for mid-doses and then £200+ for the maximum weight-maintenance doses. Whilst the cost of manufacturing the tablet may be lower than an injectable, the additional features such as the SNAC coating, and additional pharmaceutical active ingredient quantity will likely add cost.

Your stomach is full of hydrochloric acid, sitting between a pH of 1.5 and 3.5. When you take semaglutide, your body treats it like any other peptide and tries to break it down. Thankfully, as we mentioned earlier, the SNAC coating helps shield the Wegovy pill from getting destroyed before it has a chance to work. However, there are a few things you’ll need to do to help it along the way.

Take it on an empty stomach - yes, before your coffee: Take your tablet first thing in the morning, right when you wake up after an 8-hour fast. Why? If the tablet gets mixed up with any food mass, it’ll prevent the SNAC coating from touching the stomach wall. Your stomach fires up its enzymes, and the semaglutide will be broken down

Watch your water intake: Swallow the tablet whole with a small sip of plain water. Do not drink more than half a glass (120ml). Too much water dilutes the pill's protective coating, meaning it’ll get broken down.

The 30-minute rule: After taking the pill, wait at least 30 minutes before having breakfast, drinking your morning coffee or tea, or taking any other daily medications. This gives the pill the best chance to work uninterrupted.

As with the injectable form of Wegovy, the pill can have side effects. The OASIS-4 study found that gastrointestinal adverse effects were common, affecting around 74% of participants taking the Wegovy pill, compared to around 42% of those taking a placebo. These were generally described as mild to moderate in severity, and most occurred during the dose-escalation period.

Importantly, the majority of these side effects reduced over time, and the overall safety profile of oral semaglutide 25 mg was consistent with other GLP-1 medications.

Common side effects may include:

Nausea or a mild upset stomach

Diarrhea or constipation

Heartburn and indigestion

Feeling unusually tired

For the original weekly injection, it took just over 2 years to officially transition from its US debut to the UK. However, we do not expect this transition to take as long with the pill. Novo Nordisk has already submitted it to the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and the MHRA during the second half of 2025, so we’d expect MHRA approval some time in late 2026.

We work consistently with our manufacturing and wholesale partners to ensure that we are prepared for the imminent launch of the treatment. Our teams will be provided with all the information that they need to be able to answer your questions about the safety and effectivity of the treatment, so rest assured, our teams will be prepared, the moment any new treatment launches to be able to support you on your weight loss journey. It can be confusing with the different treatments, but with the knowledge and support we provide, we'll ensure that you are using the right treatment for you.

The oral tablet may be working its way through approvals, but that doesn’t mean you can't still start your weight loss journey with us today. The clinically identical weekly Wegovy Injection is just as effective and can be prescribed safely today through our regulated online doctor service. Another option is the highly effective Mounjaro injection, which can be started today.

Can I switch from the weekly injection to the daily pill?

Yes, absolutely. Once it’s in market, your prescribing pharmacist will be able to help you transition from the weekly pen to the daily oral tablet equivalent.

Will the Wegovy pill be available on the NHS?

Private online clinics will be the quickest and most accessible option for most people. If it follows the same route as the injection, it’ll likely be reserved for specialist weight management clinics for patients with severe BMIs.

Data Sources & Clinical Trials

*: Data from the OASIS-4 Clinical Trial (published in The New England Journal of Medicine), which tracked adults taking 25 mg oral semaglutide daily over 64 weeks.

**: Data from the original STEP 1 Clinical Trial (published in The New England Journal of Medicine), which tracked adults using the 2.4mg weekly subcutaneous injection over 68 weeks.