In a remarkable debut, Novo Nordisk’s oral obesity treatment Wegovy (semaglutide) surpassed 3,000 prescriptions in its first week on the U.S. market. This initial performance has exceeded industry expectations, aligning with the oral medication strategies highlighted by Novo and rival Eli Lilly at the recent JP Morgan Healthcare Conference.
Industry reports from Tuesday reveal that Wegovy garnered 3,071 prescriptions in just four days at U.S. retail pharmacies. Notably, this figure excludes prescriptions filled through Novo’s proprietary online pharmacy, suggesting the actual total could be substantially higher.
Wegovy, the pioneering oral GLP-1 obesity treatment, received FDA approval on December 22 for weight loss and cardiovascular risk reduction. It hit pharmacy shelves nationwide on January 5.
Market analysts view Wegovy’s first-week performance as a potential disruptor in the injectable-dominated obesity treatment landscape. Despite being a single formulation, Wegovy has swiftly captured about 1.3% of all GLP-1 prescriptions, indicating rapid market penetration.
For context, Eli Lilly’s injectable GLP-1 obesity treatment, Zepbound (known as Mounjaro outside the U.S.), logged around 3,100 prescriptions in its first week, escalating to over 8,000 in week two. Wegovy’s oral formulation has thus matched Zepbound’s initial success.
This trend was underscored at the recent JP Morgan Healthcare Conference in San Francisco. Novo projected that by 2030, oral formulations could constitute about one-third of the GLP-1 obesity treatment market. The convenience of pill-taking over injections, coupled with its appeal to injection-averse patients, was highlighted as a key advantage.
At the same conference, Eli Lilly introduced its oral obesity medication, Opeglyprone, emphasizing plans for expedited FDA approval. The company outlined strategies for simultaneous multi-country launches post-approval and a competitive pricing model of around 5 USD (approximately 6,667 KRW) per day, comparable to the cost of a daily coffee. Opeglyprone, a synthetic small-molecule oral treatment, boasts the flexibility of administration without fasting or meal restrictions.
These announcements signal a paradigm shift in the obesity treatment market from injectables to oral formulations. The conference discussions emphasized the importance of medication convenience as a crucial factor in future market competitiveness, with oral formulations poised to play a pivotal role in improving patient access and expanding market reach.