Novo Nordisk (NYSE: NVO) received approval from the UK's Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency for Wegovy pill, a daily oral version of its weight management medication semaglutide. The approval makes the UK the first European country to authorize the oral form of the treatment.

The MHRA approved semaglutide tablets for adults with obesity or those who are overweight with at least one weight-related condition, to be used alongside diet and exercise. The company expects the medication to become available via private prescription within weeks.

The approval was based on results from the OASIS 4 phase 3 clinical trial involving 307 adults with obesity or overweight conditions without diabetes. Participants receiving semaglutide tablets 25 mg achieved approximately 14% weight loss compared to 2% with placebo after 64 weeks when evaluating treatment effects regardless of adherence.

The study showed that participants who adhered to treatment achieved weight loss of approximately 17% with semaglutide versus 3% with placebo after 64 weeks. The most commonly reported side effects were gastrointestinal, including nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, affecting 74% of participants in the oral semaglutide group compared to 42% in the placebo group.

Adverse events leading to treatment discontinuation occurred in approximately 7% of participants receiving oral semaglutide. The medication offers an alternative to weekly injections for weight management treatment.

The MHRA represents the third regulatory authority to approve the medication, following the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the United Arab Emirates' Emirates Drug Establishment. Novo Nordisk previously announced plans to launch Wegovy pill in select markets in the second half of 2026.