Home › What is the Wegovy pill?
What is the Wegovy pill?
About this page. Written by the GLPInfo editorial team with AI assistance from the official sources listed at the end, and approved by the site owner before publication. It has not been reviewed by a named clinician. Published 27 Aug 2026 · last updated 27 Aug 2026 · next scheduled review 27 Nov 2026.
This page is information, not medical advice. It never tells you which medicine, dose or format is right for you: those decisions sit with you and a qualified prescriber. Spotted an error? Tell us and we'll fix it fast.
The Wegovy pill is oral semaglutide: the same active medicine as the Wegovy injection, formulated as a once-daily tablet. The MHRA approved the 25mg weight-management tablet for the UK on 11 June 2026, making it the first daily GLP-1 tablet available here.
How it works
The tablet delivers semaglutide, a GLP-1 receptor agonist, by mouth. Because semaglutide is a peptide that the stomach breaks down easily, the tablet uses an absorption enhancer and comes with strict administration rules: taken whole, on an empty stomach after an overnight fast, with only a sip of water, then nothing to eat or drink for at least 30 minutes. Skipping the rules can substantially reduce absorption.
Licence and doses
The UK weight-management licence covers adults with a BMI of 30 or above, or 27 and above with a weight-related condition, alongside diet and activity. Doses step from 1.5mg through 4mg and 9mg to the 25mg maintenance dose, with at least a month between increases. A 28-day pack of daily tablets is the usual supply unit.
What the trials showed
In OASIS 4 (published in the New England Journal of Medicine, 2025), the 25mg daily tablet produced an average weight reduction of about 14% versus 2% with placebo over 64 weeks of treatment, with 30% of participants losing a fifth or more of their body weight. The tablet and the injection have not been compared head-to-head in one trial, so exact equivalence cannot be claimed; the investigators described the result as comparable to the injection's own trial (STEP 1, 14.9%).
Side effects and safety
Side effects mirror the injection: predominantly gastrointestinal, worst around dose increases. The patient information leaflet lists the full range. Report suspected side effects through the MHRA Yellow Card scheme. If the fasting routine looks impractical for you, the newer Foundayo tablet has no food or water restrictions: see Foundayo vs the Wegovy pill.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Wegovy pill as effective as the injection?
They have not been compared directly in one trial. OASIS 4 showed about 14% average weight reduction with the 25mg tablet over 64 weeks, which the investigators described as comparable to the injection's 14.9% in STEP 1. A prescriber can put these figures in context for you. Full pill vs injection comparison.
Why do the food and water rules matter?
Semaglutide is a peptide the stomach breaks down easily, so the tablet must be taken fasted with only a sip of water, then nothing for at least 30 minutes. Skipping those rules can substantially reduce how much medicine is absorbed.
How much does the Wegovy pill cost in the UK?
Prices vary by provider and dose: compare Wegovy pill prices, re-checked every 12 hours.
Related: Wegovy pill price comparison · cheapest Wegovy pill today · true cost guide · how to check a provider
Sources
- OASIS 4 trial, oral semaglutide 25 mg for overweight and obesity, New England Journal of Medicine (2025)
- STEP 1 trial, semaglutide 2.4 mg injection for obesity, New England Journal of Medicine (2021)
- MHRA, Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency
- Wegovy patient information, electronic medicines compendium (emc)