Novo Nordisk (NYSE:NVO) has launched Wegovy pill (semaglutide tablets) in the United Arab Emirates, the first country outside the United States to make the oral GLP‑1 weight‑loss therapy available.
Wegovy pill is the first oral glucagon‑like peptide‑1 (GLP‑1) receptor agonist approved for weight management, its approval was supported by the OASIS 4 trial programme, and Novo Nordisk is the Danish healthcare group behind the product.
In the OASIS 4 trial, once‑daily oral semaglutide 25 mg demonstrated approximately 17% mean weight loss when treatment was adhered to, around one in three participants achieved 20% or greater weight loss, and the safety and tolerability profile was comparable to prior semaglutide trials.
Wegovy pill is the only weight‑loss pill approved by both the US Food and Drug Administration and the Emirates Drug Establishment to reduce the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events, including heart attack and stroke, in adults with established cardiovascular disease and obesity or overweight.
“This launch represents an important milestone in our ambition to expand access to innovative obesity care globally,” said Emil Kongshøj Larsen, executive vice president, International Operations at Novo Nordisk.
Globally an estimated 1 billion people live with obesity and in the UAE 28% of adults are living with obesity, with almost 7.5 million people projected to be living with obesity or overweight by 2035.
Novo Nordisk said it will bring Wegovy pill to additional select countries in the coming months, it has previously signalled launches in select markets in the second half of 2026, and regulatory decisions from the EMA and other authorities remain pending.
