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Getting the latest healthcare news for you
Novo Nordisk has launched its oral Wegovy weight-loss pill in Germany — the first EU country to get the drug — as the Danish pharma giant fights to hold its ground against rival Eli Lilly. The pill, containing semaglutide, is priced comparably to the injectable Wegovy pen (€170–€280). Meanwhile, Lilly's competing oral pill, Foundayo, is already in the UK and under review in 40+ markets.
Novo Nordisk has officially launched its oral Wegovy weight-loss pill in Germany, marking the drug's first entry into the European Union. The pill — which contains semaglutide, the same active ingredient as Novo's injectable Wegovy and Ozempic — received a green light from the European Medicines Agency in May and European Commission approval in July, paving the way for an EU-wide rollout.
The Germany launch is a strategic move in Novo's ongoing battle with U.S. rival Eli Lilly, which has been gaining ground with its injectable Zepbound and recently launched its own oral obesity pill, Foundayo, in the UK. Lilly's pill is currently under regulatory review in more than 40 markets, with a global rollout expected by 2027. Despite the competition, Novo claims its Wegovy pill holds roughly 90% of the oral obesity market.
By the Numbers:
1/3: Share of GLP-1 use that pills could represent by 2030, per Novo's January forecast
Why it matters: The EU launch signals a new phase in the oral obesity drug race. As pills become more accessible globally, they could bring millions of injection-averse patients into treatment — expanding the market rather than just reshuffling existing users between brands.
