Melody Ewert, a 44-year-old graphic design and video production business owner from Minnesota, recently switched her weight-loss medication from a weekly injection to a daily pill, citing a significant change in insurance coverage. Ewert’s experience reflects a broader shift in the anti-obesity market as pharmaceutical companies race to deliver easier-to-leverage treatments, potentially expanding access to a wider patient base.
Ewert initially lost 37 pounds through diet alone but regained most of it before starting Zepbound injections in late July. She subsequently lost 50 pounds, a change that allowed her to avoid using a seatbelt extender on flights and shop for clothes without relying on online ordering and returns. Still, a change in her health insurance plan meant her monthly cost for Zepbound would increase from $25 to $449. She transitioned to Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy pill to manage expenses.
“To be able to shop in the normal shop is a substantial deal; before I would have to just order clothes, try them on at home and then return them,” Ewert said. She reports feeling positive effects from the medication, focusing on a diet rich in protein, fiber, and vegetables while avoiding fried foods. She noted a consistent appetite suppression with the daily pill, unlike the fluctuating appetite she experienced towards the end of her weekly injection cycle.
The launch of Wegovy as a daily pill in the U.S. Last December has been remarkably swift. By late January, weekly prescriptions reached 50,000, surpassing the initial launch rate of the Wegovy injection in June 2021 and other competing injectables, according to health analysts at Leerink Partners, who described it as “the fastest drug launch ever.” The pill, like its injectable counterparts, mimics the gut hormone GLP-1, which regulates appetite.
Despite the promising start, concerns remain regarding the cost, global supply, and potential side effects of these treatments. The anti-obesity market is projected to reach $200 billion by the end of the decade. The price of the Wegovy pill ranges from $149 to $299 per month, depending on the dosage, a price point lower than recently reduced cash prices for injectable products.
Dr. Eric Perakslis, chief science officer at the U.S. Weight-loss tracking app Shotsy and a former chief scientist at the FDA, observed “a flood of both” new patients and individuals switching from injections to the Wegovy tablet. Patrick, a 33-year-old parts manager from New Jersey, is among them. He switched to the pill after his health insurance stopped covering the Wegovy injection following a job change. He had previously lost 75 pounds in six months on the injection but regained much of the weight.
“It’s very simple, just to take a pill,” Patrick said, adding that he has already lost 15 pounds on the starting dose. He is paying $150 a month for the starter dose and hopes to achieve similar weight loss results as before, even with higher doses costing up to $300 per month.
The availability of pills is expected to appeal to individuals who are averse to needles, and they offer potential cost savings and eliminate the require for refrigeration. In the UK, the Wegovy pill is currently under assessment by medical regulators and is anticipated to be available later this year, though its availability on the National Health Service (NHS) remains uncertain. Authorities have also expressed concerns about the potential for counterfeit versions of the pill to enter the market, given the relative ease of manufacturing compared to injectable medications.
A recent study by UCL researchers indicated that 1.6 million adults in England, Scotland, and Wales used weight-loss drugs between early 2024 and early 2025, with women comprising twice as many users as men, typically aged 45 to 55. Nearly two-thirds of adults in England were overweight or obese in 2022. An additional 3.3 million people expressed interest in using weight-loss drugs, particularly those facing financial hardship, where obesity rates are often higher. Which means nearly one in ten adults in Britain has either recently used a weight-loss drug or intends to do so.
Novo Nordisk, the manufacturer of Wegovy, experienced a 17% drop in its share price in early February after forecasting lower-than-expected sales and profits for the year, following a period of rapid growth that briefly made it Europe’s most valuable company. The company issued several profit warnings and cut 9,000 jobs last year. Initial skepticism regarding Novo’s ability to quickly scale up production of the pill, which requires a higher concentration of semaglutide and must be taken on an empty stomach with a small sip of water, appears to have been unfounded.
Eli Lilly, Novo Nordisk’s primary competitor and the maker of Mounjaro and Zepbound, is preparing to launch its own weight-loss pill, orforglipron, as early as April. Unlike Wegovy’s pill, orforglipron is a small molecule, allowing for easier absorption and eliminating the need for fasting. Clinical studies have suggested that Mounjaro leads to greater weight loss than Wegovy.
Analysts at Goldman Sachs predict 2026 will be a “pivotal year” for the obesity market with the launch of both Novo Nordisk’s and Eli Lilly’s pills, potentially expanding the number of people eligible for weight-loss medications. The U.S. Medicare health insurance program will start covering GLP-1 medications for the first time in April.
Analysts at UBS forecast peak annual sales of $3.25 billion for the Wegovy pill, compared to $16 billion for the injection, citing a higher dropout rate in studies, with one in ten participants discontinuing use due to side effects like nausea and vomiting. Analysts suggest that individuals needing significant weight loss will likely continue with injections, while pills may attract those who are overweight or mildly obese.
Researchers at the University of Chicago Medicine found that, despite potential health benefits such as reduced risk of stroke and heart attack, GLP-1 injections currently fall short of cost-effectiveness benchmarks for governments due to their high cost. However, they believe pills could offer a more cost-effective solution. A recent study indicated that individuals who discontinue GLP-1 injections typically regain all lost weight within two years. Experts have also called for further research into a potential link between GLP-1 injections and an increase in gallbladder removals within the NHS.
