The U.S. will let Novo Nordisk A/S sell it blockbuster weight loss drug Wegovy in a pill form. Millions of people already take the shot. A trial showed people taking a 25 milligram pill once daily lost about 13.6% of their body weight over 64 weeks. Novo President and CEO Mike Doustdar speaks to Bloomberg's Katie Greifeld.

Novo Nordisk announced the upcoming launch of its Wegovy weight loss pill in the United States, aiming to begin sales in January. This move gives the company a first-mover advantage in the oral GLP-1 market, ahead of Eli Lilly’s expected entry in March. The Wegovy pill has demonstrated 17% efficacy in weight loss for regular users, with one in three patients achieving up to 20% weight reduction.

The company emphasizes that this is the first time a pill matches the efficacy of GLP-1 injections, offering patients a choice between daily oral or weekly injectable treatments. Novo Nordisk also highlights over ten years of safety data and additional cardiovascular protection benefits associated with the pill, positioning it as a strong competitor in the expanding weight loss market.

Novo going 'all-in' with Wegovy weight loss pill

When it comes to the U.S. market, you've been losing share to your rival, Eli Lilly, for a couple years now. But with this approval, you have an important first-mover advantage when it comes to oral GLP-1s. Given that you expect to start selling the pill version of Oigo-V in January, whereas Eli Lilly isn't due on the market until March, how do you plan to make the most of this head start? Thanks very much for having me, Katie. As they say, Christmas comes early, so I'm super excited, of course, to be here announcing the big Oigo-V pill. As you say, this is really going to be super exciting for the millions of patients that have been waiting to get their hands on a GLP-1 pill. And for the first time, we are having a pill that has an efficacy of some 17% if you take the pill regularly, and one in three people are going to actually reduce up to 20% weight loss. I think that data speaks for itself, and we are super excited, of course, to be the first to the market, and we're going to go all in trying to make this a huge success. Well, moving forward, I mean, beyond just these first few months, after Eli Lilly does have their pill on the market, how do you plan to compete? What is your strategy there, given my understanding is that there's likely going to be no restrictions when it comes to food, when it comes to drinks, around Lilly's version? Yeah, so as I mentioned, there are no other phase three trials of oral GLP-1 that has shown this level of efficacy. This means that for the first time ever, people do not have to compromise between either taking an efficacious injection or a convenient pill. For the first time ever, you have the same efficacy of 17% in injection or a pill. You can take it on a daily basis as a pill or a weekly injection. And that, I think, is the key selling point with WeGoVe pill. We also have more than 10 years of, of course, experience with regards to safety data and what have you. That's why it's called the WeGoVe pill, which means that this pill is not only going to reduce your weight, it also has protection for your cardiovascular systems. So this is a phenomenal pill, second to none, I would say, and we are very ready to compete with it.

A Delaware state trooper was killed Tuesday during a shooting at a Wilmington DMV, the Delaware State Police said. The state's governor confirmed the shooter is also dead.

Wilmington

Delaware state trooper killed in DMV shooting, officials say

The Supreme Court ruled on Tuesday that President Trump cannot deploy the National Guard troops to Chicago as a legal challenge moves ahead.

Washington

Supreme Court blocks deployment of National Guard to Illinois

The Justice Department released a new trove of documents from its investigation into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, including an email from a prosecutor indicating President Donald Trump had traveled aboard his private jet "many more times than previously has been reported."

Trump flew on Epstein jet 8 times according to newly released files

The Libyan army's chief of staff, Mohammed Ali Ahmed Al-Haddad, died in a plane crash after leaving Turkey's capital Ankara, the prime minister of Libya's internationally-recognized government said, adding that four others were on the jet as well.

Haymana

Libyan army's chief dies in plane crash in Turkey

Two men have been found guilty of plotting to kill hundreds in an Islamic State-inspired gun rampage against the Jewish community in England, a planned attack investigators say demonstrates the resurgent risk posed by the militant group.

Bolton

Two men found guilty of UK plot to kill Jews as IS fears grow

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.

FDA approves Wegovy pill, first prescription pill for weight loss

French Parliament has approved the Stopgap Bill two days before Christmas. The budget bill now moves to French senate.

Parijs

French Parliament approves Stopgap Bill: Budget bill moves to senate

Russia fired more than 650 drones and three dozen missiles at Ukraine in a large-scale attack that began during the night and stretched into daylight hours Tuesday, officials said. At least three people were killed, including a 4-year-old child, two days before Christmas.

Kiev

Russia carries out massive drone attack on Ukraine's energy sector

The U.S. Department of Justice has released another batch of files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, including videos, emails and documents. CBS News' Scott MacFarlane reports.

U.S. Justice Department releases new trove of Epstein files

The leaders of Denmark and Greenland insisted that the United States won't take over Greenland and demanded respect for their territorial integrity after President Donald Trump ‍​announced ​the appointment of a ‌special envoy to the semi-autonomous territory.

Nuuk

Trump's appointment of envoy to Greenland sparks tension with Denmark

Australia's most populous state is set to pass tougher gun laws, ban the display of terrorist symbols and curb protests after the state parliament's lower house cleared a bill late on Monday (December 22) in an emergency sitting following the Bondi mass shooting.

Council of the City of Sydney

Australia's NSW to tighten gun, hate speech laws after Bondi attack

On Monday, President Trump announced a new class of Navy battleships he's calling the "Golden Fleet." The president said two vessels will be built in the short term, with plans to expand to up to 25.

Trump unveils plans for new fleet of advanced Navy battleships

China's foreign ministry on Monday (December 22) said the United States' seizure of another country's ships was a serious violation of international law, after the U.S. intercepted a China-bound oil tanker off the Venezuelan coast.

Beijing

China says U.S. ship seizures ‘serious violation' of international law

A Russian general was killed by an explosive device underneath his car in Moscow, according to Russian investigators, who say Ukraine's intelligence services may have orchestrated the attack. Ukraine has not commented.

Moscow

Ukraine Invasion

Russian general killed in car explosion

The U.S. Coast Guard is pursuing an oil tanker in international waters near Venezuela, officials told Reuters on Sunday (December 21), in what would be the third operation in less than two weeks if successful.

Caracas

U.S. pursuing third oil tanker near Venezuela, officials say

At least 15 documents related to Jeffrey Epstein that were initially made public have been pulled from the Justice Department website. The agency says it will keep reviewing and redacting materials to "protect victims."

Epstein files pulled down to 'protect victims'

Nine people have died and at least ten others were wounded after a group of gunmen carried out a shooting at a South African pub during the early hours of Sunday, authorities said.

Bekkersdal

At least nine people killed in South Africa pub shooting

U.S. intelligence reports continue to warn that Russian President Vladimir Putin has not abandoned his aims of capturing all of Ukraine and reclaiming parts of Europe that belonged to the former Soviet empire, six sources familiar with U.S. intelligence said.

As peace talks go on, U.S. intel says Putin's war goals unchanged

A court in Pakistan has convicted and sentenced the imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, to 17 years in prison after finding them guilty of retaining and selling state gifts, including jewelry given by Saudi Arabia in 2021.

Islamabad

Former Pakistani PM Imran Khan convicted to 17 years in prison

The U.S. seized an oil tanker off Venezuela's coast on Saturday. It's the second time in two weeks that U.S. forces have carried out such an action. This comes after President Donald Trump announced a block of "sanctioned oil vessels" entering and exiting Venezuela.

Oil tanker seized off Venezuela, second in two weeks

The Justice Department released more documents related to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein on Saturday after failing to meet Friday's deadline to release all the documents, as required by the law signed by President Trump last month. The Justice Department said the delay was, in part, to ensure that victims' information was protected.

Justice Department releases more Epstein documents Saturday

The U.S. Department of Justice released thousands of documents, photos and files related to late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein on Friday. But some Democrats are criticizing the partial release because the department had a deadline to release all of the files by end of Friday.

'Partial' release of Epstein files faces criticism

The United States military “hit the ISIS [ISIL] thugs in Syria”, President Donald Trump has said, a week after two US soldiers and an interpreter were killed in Syria’s Palmyra city. Trump said he “ordered a massive strike on the terrorists that killed our three great patriots last week”.

Damascus

Trump says U.S has launched large-scale attacks on ISIL in Syria

Ukraine said its drones hit a vessel from Russia's shadow fleet – the first such strike in the neutral waters of the Mediterranean Sea. Russia's shadow fleet transports sanctioned Russia oil by frequently changing flags and concealing ownership.

Ukraine strikes Russian shadow fleet tanker in Mediterranean sea

The U.S. Justice Department has released thousands of files relating to Jeffrey Epstein, including photos featuring people like former President Bill Clinton and Mick Jagger. However, survivors are concerned with how much information was redacted from the files.

Thousands of new Epstein files, photos released

The U.S. military launched large-scale strikes against dozens of Islamic State targets in Syria on Friday (December 19) in retaliation for an attack on American personnel, U.S. officials said.

U.S. hits ISIS in Syria with large retaliatory strikes

The man suspected of carrying out an attack in Taiwan with a smoke grenade and knife acted alone, police said on Saturday of the incident that killed at least four, including the attacker. This edit contains graphic images.

Taipei City

Taipei attacker acted alone, police say after three killed

The suspect in the Dec. 13 mass shooting on the campus of Brown University was found dead by suicide in a storage unit in Salem, New Hampshire, authorities said. He has been identified as 48-year-old Claudio Manuel Neves Valente, a former Brown grad student.

Providence

How a Reddit post led police to the suspected university shooter

Seven people were killed, including former NASCAR driver Greg Biffle and his wife and children, in a plane crash in North Carolina. Investigators hope to find clues about why it happened on the cockpit voice recorder. Cristian Benavides has the latest.

Plane crash kills NASCAR driver, family

President Trump announced new agreements on Friday with nine pharmaceutical companies aimed at making certain prescription drugs cheaper. CBS News reporter Karen Hua has the details.

Breakdown