The first tablet version of the blockbuster weight-loss jabs will be available in the UK within weeks, following approval by the medicines regulator.
The daily Wegovy Pill contains the same active ingredient as the weekly injection, and is almost as effective, with users losing on average of just under 14% of their body weight over 64 weeks.
As well as the attraction of being needle-free, it is expected to be cheaper than the jab, though manufacturer Novo Nordisk will not confirm a UK price.
It will only be available with a private prescription and won't be available on the NHS until it has been reviewed for cost effectiveness by the medicines' watchdog NICE.
Professor Naveed Sattar, Professor of Cardiometabolic Medicine at the University of Glasgow, said: "The approval of the once-daily oral form of Wegovy is welcome news for people living with obesity, particularly those who would prefer not to use injections.
"With obesity rates in the UK now at very high levels, and associated with substantial multimorbidity, additional treatment options for sustained weight loss are greatly needed."
An estimated 1.6million people have used injected versions of Wegovy or its competitor Mounjaro in the last year. Only a tiny fraction of them are prescribed the drug on the NHS.
But approval by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) of a tablet formulation is expected to result in a surge in demand. Online pharmacy Chemist4U says it already has a waiting list of more than 10,000 customers.
Eli Lilly, which makes Mounjaro, is expected to win approval for a tablet version later this year.
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Emil Kongshoj Larsen of Novo Nordisk said the UK is the first country in Europe to approve the pill version of Wegovy.
"Around 15 million people in the UK are living with obesity, yet only a small proportion of them have access to treatment and we hope this approval supports increasing access to obesity care in the UK," he said.
"With the introduction of this option for weight management, we have an opportunity to support many more eligible patients. Most importantly, this gives patients another option - one that may fit their lives and help them reach their health goals."
(c) Sky News 2026: First tablet version of weight-loss jabs to be available in UK in weeks
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