Losing weight with the help of a prescription weight loss drug continues to increase in popularity. According to recent KFF polls, about one in eight U.S. adults takes a GLP-1 medication for weight loss or to treat a chronic health condition, and nearly one in five adults says they have taken a GLP-1 medication at some point.
Access to weight loss support is also increasing. Just this January, drug manufacturer Novo Nordisk released a pill version of its GLP-1 medication Wegovy, which is now FDA-approved for weight loss and major cardiovascular event risk reduction in adults with obesity . Research on the pill suggests it can provide many of the same benefits as its injectable alternative, with some added perks — like ease of use — that may appeal to certain patients, especially those who are needle shy. It’s also significantly cheaper than its injectable counterpart.
Since becoming available in early January 2026, Wegovy pill prescriptions are in high demand. According to Reuters, the Wegovy pill was prescribed over 18,000 times in the U.S. during its debut week. Numerically, this is a stronger launch than Novo Nordisk’s injectable Wegovy, back in 2021.
Read on to learn which form of Wegovy is right for you, and all about the key differences between the pill and injectable versions of Wegovy.
[READ: 13 Questions to Ask Your Doctor Before Starting a GLP-1 Weight Loss Drug]
How the New Wegovy Pill Works: The 25 mg Daily Protocol
The main difference between the Wegovy pill and shot is that you’ll be taking the pill daily, versus a weekly shot. But much like the shot, you’ll need to gradually increase your dose until you reach the maintenance dose.
The Wegovy pill maintenance dose is 25 mg a day. This is in contrast to the maintenance dose of Wegovy’s injectable medication, which is 1.7 mg or 2.4 mg a week. While this may seem like a massive difference in doses — and it is — experts say patients can expect similar weight-loss results. This is due to the way the body absorbs, or metabolizes, oral versus injectable medications.
“The dosing of the medication has to do with absorption of the effective ingredient,” explains Dr. Mir Ali, a board-certified general surgeon, bariatric surgeon and the medical director of MemorialCare Surgical Weight Loss Center in Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, California. “The pill requires breakdown in the GI tract and then absorption through the intestine, so less of the effective ingredient makes it into the bloodstream.”
If you’re just starting the Wegovy pill, you won’t take the maintenance dose right away. Your doctor will gradually increase, or titrate, your dose, starting with 1.5 mg, then gradually increasing to 4 mg and then 9 mg. You will typically take each dose for about 30 days before increasing — until you are ready for the full 25 mg. This titration system is also used for the injectable medication, although with different dosages.
Ali says that starting slowly can help patients mitigate potential side effects from GLP-1 medications, such as nausea and constipation.
[READ: What to Eat — and Avoid — on GLP-1 Weight Loss Medications]
Morning Routine: Strict 30-Minute Requirement
Wegovy lists very specific instructions for how and when patients should take their pill, which some may find challenging, especially if you’re one of those people who needs a cup of coffee first thing in the morning. The protocol is:
— Start. Take the pill first thing in the morning on an empty stomach. The company advises patients to swallow the pill with a small glass of water of no more than four ounces.
— Store. Keep the rest of your pills safely in their prescription bottle, lid closed and in a dry, room-temperature location.
— Wait 30 minutes. After you take the pill, you need to wait 30 minutes before eating, drinking or consuming any other medications — this includes coffee.
— Repeat. Follow this routine every day, unless your doctor tells you to change something. If you forget a dose, don’t double up. Instead, skip that day and get back on track the next morning.
The reason that the instructions for taking the pills are so specific has to do with how and where the body absorbs the drug.
Bioavailability vs. dosing
Injectable drugs enter the body through the bloodstream. In contrast, oral medications enter the body through the mouth, then travel to the stomach and then are eventually absorbed into the bloodstream. Because oral medications undergo a longer journey, they are also more degraded from stomach acid and enzymes that break down the drug and reduce the absorption process.
Dr. Jennifer Chang, a board-certified endocrinologist at Huntington Health, explains that when semaglutide is taken orally, only about 1% to 2% is absorbed into the bloodstream, which is why patients must take a much higher oral dose to achieve the benefits.
Surviving the stomach: What is SNAC?
Your stomach acid fights dirty — it breaks down your food for a reason — so increasing a drug’s dose can’t guarantee it enters your bloodstream unscathed. To ensure the Wegovy pill is protected, the medication also includes an ingredient known as salcaprozate sodium, or SNAC. According to Wegovy, SNAC helps the pill survive in the stomach long enough to be absorbed into your bloodstream — and temporarily increases local absorption through your stomach lining too.
Wegovy claims that “without SNAC, almost none of the medicine would be absorbed from the pill so there would be no treatment effect.”
[READ: Does Medicare Cover GLP-1 Weight Loss Drugs Like Ozempic and Zepbound?]
Can You Switch from Wegovy Injections to the Pill?
Yes, if you’re currently taking Wegovy injections, you may be able to switch to the Wegovy pill. Before you do, however, you’ll need to have a conversation with your health care provider about whether or not they recommend that you switch, and how they recommend you go about making this transition. They can determine what dose to start you at and how to titrate up to the maintenance dose. If switching, you’ll need to be mindful to create new practices around how and when you take your medication.
Wegovy Pen vs. the Wegovy Pill: Which Works Better?
Both the shot and pill offer similar weight loss benefits based on studies.
In a clinical trial on weekly dosing of the 2.4 mg Wegovy injection, participating patients achieved an average weight loss of 14.9% of starting body weight after 68 weeks. In a separate clinical trial on daily doses of the 25 mg Wegovy pill, published in 2025 in the New England Journal of Medicine, participating patients achieved an average weight loss of 13.6% after 64 weeks.
Side effects: Is the pill harder on the stomach?
Patients may experience side effects from either form of Wegovy.
Ali says that some of these GI side effects may be “slightly higher” with the pill than the injection because the pill is absorbed through the GI tract and not directly into the bloodstream. However, not every patient experiences side effects or the same intensity of side effects from the medication.
Overall, whether or not one medication is better than the other may depend on your individual preferences and tolerance levels.
“There are pluses and minuses to both modalities,” Ali says. “The pill requires to be taken on an empty stomach and wait 30 minutes before eating, so this may be difficult to follow for some patients. It is more convenient for travel as it does not require refrigeration. The injection is once a week but may be difficult for those who do not like injections/needles. Also, it does need to be refrigerated for storage.”
Wegovy’s pill and injectable pen are both designed to be used in conjunction with increased physical activity and decreased caloric intake.
Wegovy Pen vs. Pill: Lifestyle Considerations
| Consideration | Wegovy Pill | Wegovy Injectable Pen |
| Storage | Can be stored at room temperature | Refrigeration required |
| Method of taking medication | Taken orally | Injection |
| Frequency of taking the medication | Once a day | Once a week |
When factoring lifestyle into the equation, Chang says that “the oral formulation may be particularly well suited for patients with a strong aversion to injections, needle anxiety or difficulty with self-administration.”
People who travel frequently may also benefit from the pill, which can be stored at room temperature.
“Ultimately, the best candidate for either form is someone who is motivated, understands the potential side effects and can adhere consistently to the dosing instructions,” Chang says.
Cost and Access: Pay Less Than $150 for Wegovy Pill in 2026
Both the Wegovy pill and injection can be covered by insurance. But the pill is significantly cheaper whether you’re using insurance or not.
According to Wegovy, insured patients can pay as little as $25 per month for the Wegovy pill — or receive a maximum savings of $100 per month for a one-month supply prescription, $200 per month for a two-month supply and $300 per month for a three-month supply.
If you’re not using insurance and paying out of pocket, the cost of the Wegovy pill varies: Self-pay prices start at $149 per month for 1.5 mg. For 4 mg, prices will remain at $149 until April 15, 2026, and then increase to $199 month. Monthly doses between9 mg and 25 mg rise to $299.
Getting two- or three-month prescriptions can further lower these prices.
Beyond Weight Loss: GLP-1 MASH and Cardiovascular Benefits
While GLP-1 medications may be most known for their weight loss capabilities, they are FDA-approved to treat other conditions too. Notably, Wegovy is approved to reduce severe cardiovascular risks and treat metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis, or MASH, which is a serious liver disease, in certain populations. So far, only the injection is approved to treat MASH, and not the pill. Both are approved for cardiovascular risk reduction in certain populations.
In the future, some researchers wonder if GLP-1s benefits will extend even further and support longevity.
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What to Know About the New Wegovy Pill originally appeared on usnews.com
