Overview
- Novo Nordisk launched the Wegovy oral semaglutide pill in the United Arab Emirates, which the company announced on Wednesday as the first market for the drug outside the United States.
- Regulators in the UAE authorised the pill for long‑term weight management and to reduce major adverse cardiovascular events in adults with established heart disease and obesity or overweight.
- Clinical results from the OASIS 4 programme showed that daily oral semaglutide produced about 17% mean weight loss when patients adhered to treatment, with a third of participants losing 20% or more.
- UAE doctors and Novo Nordisk stress that Wegovy is prescription‑only, should follow medical assessment with BMI and blood tests, and must be used alongside lifestyle measures to avoid misuse and eating‑disorder risks.
- The entry of an oral GLP‑1 pill follows recent launches of rival oral products and will make price, reimbursement, prescriber training and supply the key factors that determine who can access treatment.