This is big!
I don't often (almost never) lead off with a focus on one stock but Novo Nordisk (NVO) just got an oral version of Wegovy (the original GLP-1) approved by the FDA THIS MORNING AND NVO is trading at a very low level (because they lost their advantage on the injectables this year) but the first-mover advantage carries over to the pill and they will have 2026 pretty much to themselves in that format.
So - OPPORTUNITY!!!
FDA has approved oral Semaglutide (Wegovy pill) as the first GLP‑1 pill specifically for weight loss in adults, after prior approval of Rybelsus (a lower‑dose oral Sema) for diabetes and CV risk reduction - this is why NVO has such a huge lead over the competition.
In trials, the 25 mg pill delivered roughly 17% average weight loss in an “idealized” analysis and ~14% in the more real‑world estimate. That’s in the same ballpark as injectable Wegovy, which is crucial—this isn’t a weak “diet pill,” it’s effectively Wegovy in tablet form!
Novo says US launch is planned for early January 2026 (weeks!) with a self‑pay price “from $149/month” via savings programs and manufacturing already ramping at its North Carolina facilities.
Lilly’s (LLY)'s main oral contender is orforglipron, a small‑molecule, non‑peptide GLP‑1 agonist. Phase 2 data show strong weight loss, and multiple phase 3 obesity trials are underway, but it is not yet filed with FDA. Recent reporting suggests FDA has granted a priority review voucher to speed that program once filed and consensus is that an orforglipron obesity approval is likely sometime in 2026, with the BEST case being LATE 2026. That puts Lilly probably 12+ months behind Novo in bringing an obesity pill to market - though it will remain fiercely competitive in injectables (Zepbound, Mounjaro) in the meantime.
