Name: FDA approves Wegovy pill, first prescription pill for weight loss
Uploaded: 2025-12-23T18:06:22.450Z
Duration: 1 min 45 s
Description: The FDA has approved the pill version of the weight loss drug Wegovy, the first oral medication of its kind. The new pills are expected to be available in a few weeks.

The FDA has approved the pill version of the weight loss drug Wegovy, the first oral medication of its kind. The new pills are expected to be available in a few weeks.

Washington

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Wegovy, the first prescription pill for weight loss. Clinical trials demonstrated that patients taking the medication lost an average of 13.6% of their body weight over 15 months, compared to 2.2% for those on a placebo, with all participants also receiving diet and exercise counseling.

Medical professionals note that the oral option may benefit patients who are reluctant to use injectable medications and could improve accessibility. However, affordability remains a concern for some, and continued access to the medication is necessary for sustained results.

FDA approves Wegovy pill, first prescription pill for weight loss

Dr. Chris Mertens was a high school and college athlete, but during his medical training, he gained 60 pounds. I was also seeing effects with things like my blood pressure, with one of my doctors telling me I might need to start medicine for my blood pressure because it was getting high enough, as well as cholesterol being elevated. After struggling to lose weight, he heard about a clinical trial for Novo Nordisk's weight loss pill. Over about eight months, he lost 40 pounds. It was a great option, especially when I know I had tried to do things what people may term the right way, with diet and exercise alone. In a New England Journal of Medicine study, all trial participants received counseling on diet and exercise. After about 15 months, patients lost on average 13.6 percent of their body weight on medication, compared to 2.2 percent on placebo. The pill must be taken on an empty stomach. Dr. Reshmi Srinath is the director of the Weight and Metabolism Management Program at Mount Sinai. Do you have patients who can afford it through insurance or privately, but who say, look, I don't want to give myself a shot? For patients who are seeking care for weight management, there are patients who are very opposed to injecting themselves. For many patients, affordability remains an issue. I do think that having an oral option would be really helpful, one, for improving access, but also as another tool that we can offer patients. After the trial ended, Dr. Mertens lost access to the pill and started to regain weight. He's now on an injectable medication. It's not something that should be considered a dirty shortcut. It's something that, again, with more and more evidence showing it has benefit for not only losing weight, but helping treat so many other conditions that are downhill from obesity. Dr. John Lepook, CBS News, New York.

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