Wegovy Pill (Oral Semaglutide)

What is the Wegovy Pill?

The Wegovy Pill (oral semaglutide) has been developed by Novo Nordisk using the same active ingredient, semaglutide, as in the Wegovy FlexTouch weight loss injection pen. A GLP-1 receptor agonist to help reduce appetite, increase feelings of fullness and support long-term weight management. 

Semaglutide tablets have been available in the UK since 2020 for the treatment of type 2 diabetes under the brand name Rybelsus and are used globally by millions of people.

The Wegovy Pill is an alternative for those who have a needle phobia or are not keen on using GLP-1 injections. 

The Wegovy pill criteria is as follows:

• For those with a BMI over 30 OR
• those with a BMI over 27 with a weight-related health condition, including type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure or high cholesterol. 

Like Wegovy injections, Wegovy pills are a prescription-only weight loss treatment that must be assessed by a clinician before they can be prescribed. This includes your medical history, current medications and any side effects or reactions you may have experienced. 

Storage of Wegovy pills does not require them to be refrigerated, and they can be stored at room temperature. 

What doses does the Wegovy Pill come in?

Wegovy pills follow a similar structure to the Wegovy injection, as you need to start at the lowest dose for the first 30 days and gradually increase your dose over a 90-day period up to the maximum dose of 25mg once a day. 

The Wegovy pill dosing schedule is:

Day 1 - 30 (Starting dose) - 1.5mg tablet once a day for 30 days

Days 31 - 60 - 4mg tablet once daily for 30 days

Days 61 - 90 - 9mg tablet once daily for 30 days

Days 91 onwards (maximum dose) - 25mg once a day.

Can You Switch From Wegovy Injections to Wegovy Pill?

In short, yes, you can switch from Wegovy Injections to Wegovy Pill, providing you meet certain criteria. 

A clinical review will be required when making your purchase. You will need to complete your consultation and provide evidence of the dose of Wegovy Injection you have been taking when ordering the Wegovy Pill.

Dose conversion may vary. 

Patients currently taking Wegovy 2.4mg injections may be suitable to switch to Wegovy Pill 25mg following clinical review. 

When switching from Wegovy 2.4mg injection, you should start taking your Wegovy Pill at least 7 days after your last injection.

Refer to the chart below for guidance on what Wegovy Pill strength you should be able to switch to following clinical review. 
 

View the Wegovy Pill Patient Information Leaflet here. 

Taking this medicine

Take your wegovy® tablet on an empty stomach after a recommended fasting period of at least 8 hours.

Swallow your wegovy® tablet whole with a sip of water (up to 120 mL). Do not split, crush or chew the tablet.

After taking your wegovy® tablet, wait at least 30 minutes before eating or drinking or taking other oral medicines. Waiting less than 30 minutes lowers the absorption of semaglutide.

People with type 2 diabetes

Tell your doctor if you have type 2 diabetes. Your doctor may adjust the dose of your diabetes medicines to prevent you from getting low blood sugar.

If you take more wegovy® than you should.

Talk to your doctor straight away. You may get side effects such as feeling sick (nausea).

If you forget to take wegovy®

If you forget to take a dose, skip the missed dose and just take your normal dose the next day.

If you stop taking wegovy®

Do not stop using this medicine without talking to your doctor. If you have any further questions on the use of this medicine, ask your doctor, pharmacist or nurse.

Possible Side Effects

Like all medicines, this medicine can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them.

Serious side effects

Common (may affect up to 1 in 10 people)

• Complications of diabetic eye disease (diabetic retinopathy). If you have diabetes, tell your doctor if you experience any eye problems, such as changes in vision, during treatment with this medicine.

Uncommon (may affect up to 1 in 100 people)

• Inflamed pancreas (acute pancreatitis). This may cause severe pain in the stomach and back that does not go away. This is a serious, potentially life-threatening condition. Seek medical attention immediately if you experience these symptoms.
• Stop using this medicine and seek urgent medical help if you experience severe, persistent pain in the stomach (abdomen), with or without nausea and vomiting. This could be a sign of acute pancreatitis.
• Kidney or bladder stones. Signs may include back or lower abdominal pain, difficulty passing urine or changes in the colour of your urine.

Rare (may affect up to 1 in 1,000 people)

• Severe allergic reactions (anaphylactic reactions or angioedema). Seek immediate medical help if you experience breathing difficulties, swelling of the face, lips, tongue or throat, difficulty swallowing, wheezing, a fast heartbeat, pale or cold skin, dizziness or weakness.
• Hip fractures.

Very rare (may affect up to 1 in 10,000 people)

• Non-arteritic anterior ischaemic optic neuropathy (NAION). This eye condition may cause painless vision loss in one eye. Contact your doctor urgently if you notice sudden or gradually worsening eyesight.

Not known (frequency cannot be estimated from the available data)

• Bowel obstruction. A severe form of constipation with additional symptoms such as stomach pain, bloating and vomiting.

Other side effects

Very common (may affect more than 1 in 10 people)

• Headache

• Feeling sick (nausea)
• Being sick (vomiting)
• Diarrhoea
• Constipation
• Stomach pain
• Feeling weak or tired
• Upset stomach or indigestion

These usually improve over time.

Common (may affect up to 1 in 10 people)

• Feeling dizzy

• Burping
• Gas (flatulence)
• Bloating
• Inflamed stomach (gastritis), including stomach pain, nausea or vomiting
• Reflux or heartburn (gastro-oesophageal reflux disease)
• Gallstones
• Hair loss
• Changes in the way food or drink tastes
• Changes in skin sensation
• Low blood sugar (hypoglycaemia) in patients with diabetes

Symptoms of low blood sugar can include:

• Cold sweat
• Cool, pale skin
• Headache
• Fast heartbeat
• Feeling sick (nausea)
• Feeling very hungry
• Changes in vision
• Feeling sleepy or weak
• Feeling nervous, anxious or confused
• Difficulty concentrating
• Shaking

Low blood sugar is more likely if you also take a sulfonylurea or insulin. Your doctor may reduce the dose of these medicines before you start treatment.

Uncommon (may affect up to 1 in 100 people)

• Low blood pressure

• Feeling dizzy or lightheaded when standing or sitting due to a drop in blood pressure
• Fast heartbeat
• Increased pancreatic enzymes (such as lipase and amylase) shown in blood tests
• Delayed emptying of the stomach
• Low blood sugar (hypoglycaemia) in patients without diabetes
• Increased bilirubin levels in the blood. Signs include jaundice (yellowing of the skin or the whites of the eyes).

Reporting of side effects

If you get any side effects, talk to your doctor or pharmacist. This includes any possible side effects not listed in the above description and patient information leaflet. You can also report side effects directly via the Yellow Card Scheme at: www.mhra.gov.uk/yellowcard or search for “MHRA yellowcard” in the Google Play or Apple App Store. By reporting side effects you can help provide more information on the safety of this medicine.