Novo Nordisk announced Sunday that prescriptions for its Wegovy weight loss pill have surpassed 3 million since the drug became available in the U.S. in January, with the majority of users coming to the obesity treatment category for the first time.
More than 80% of new Wegovy pill prescriptions are for patients who had never previously taken a GLP-1 drug
NurPhoto / Getty Images
Novo Nordisk announced Sunday that prescriptions for its Wegovy weight loss pill have surpassed 3 million since the drug became available in the U.S. in January, with the majority of users coming to the obesity treatment category for the first time.
Twelve weeks elapsed between the pill's arrival at U.S. pharmacies and online providers and its first million prescriptions; the next two million followed within just 10 weeks, translating to a fill rate of approximately one prescription every five seconds. Looking back 12 months, Novo Nordisk found that patients without any prior GLP-1 use account for over 80% of new Wegovy pill prescriptions — a figure the company interprets as evidence that the tablet format is pulling previously untreated people into the obesity care market.
"Wegovy pill and Wegovy HD available for weight management" means "patients and their healthcare providers are making choices that fit their needs," Jamey Millar, executive vice president of U.S. operations at Novo Nordisk, said in a statement.
Timed alongside the prescription milestone, Novo Nordisk has also brought Wegovy HD to market — a once-weekly shot delivering 7.2 mg of semaglutide that nearly triples the 2.4 mg ceiling that had defined the injectable lineup until now. The company said Wegovy HD has also shown strong early uptake. Novo Nordisk added that more patients who started a new weight management therapy this year have filled prescriptions for Wegovy than for any other available obesity medication.
The milestone announcement coincides with Novo Nordisk's presence at the American Diabetes Association's 2026 Scientific Sessions in New Orleans, where the company is presenting clinical data including analyses of Wegovy in adults with obesity.
The Wegovy pill's rapid U.S. uptake has come as Novo Nordisk works to expand its reach. The company recently launched the pill in the United Arab Emirates, the first country outside the U.S. to receive the oral version, and is preparing additional international launches in the second half of 2026. Eli Lilly $LLY brought its competing oral obesity pill, Foundayo, to the U.S. market in April, intensifying competition in the category.
For patients with commercial insurance, Wegovy is available for as little as $25 per month through existing savings programs, the company said. A Medicare GLP-1 Bridge program, set to begin July 1, 2026, will offer eligible Medicare beneficiaries access to Wegovy at a $50 monthly copay. The pill is also available through more than 70,000 U.S. pharmacies, Novo Nordisk's NovoCare Pharmacy, and select telehealth providers.
Novo Nordisk raised its full-year guidance in May after first-quarter Wegovy pill sales of 2.26 billion Danish kroner came in well above analyst expectations, with cumulative prescriptions at that point having surpassed 2 million.
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