The weight-loss war is moving from the needle to the medicine cabinet as Novo Nordisk (NVO) officially launches its daily Wegovy pill in the United States today. In a clear attempt to recapture ground from rival Eli Lilly (LLY), the Danish drugmaker is pricing its new oral semaglutide as low as $149 per month for patients paying out of pocket. The news sent NVO shares higher in pre-market trading on Monday. This aggressive pricing strategy comes just weeks after the FDA approved the pill on December 22, marking the first time a GLP-1 obesity treatment has been available in a non-injectable format.
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For patients without insurance coverage, the price for the 1.5 mg and 4 mg starter doses is set at $149 for a 30-day supply. However, Novo Nordisk has already signaled that this entry-level price is a limited-time offer, with the 4 mg dose scheduled to rise to $199 on April 15. Higher maintenance doses of 9 mg and 25 mg will carry a standard self-pay price of $299 per month.
The Wegovy Pill Is Ideal for Those Who Don’t Like Needles
The launch of the Wegovy pill isn’t just about making things more convenient. Novo Nordisk is betting that a daily tablet will win over millions of people who have stayed away from treatment because they don’t like needles. Clinical data shows that the 25 mg pill can lead to roughly 17% weight loss, which puts it on par with the original weekly shots.
Pricing this pill at $149 is a direct attack on the cash price of injectable drugs, which often run between $350 and $1,000. It is an ambitious move to get ahead of Eli Lilly before their own weight-loss pill, orforglipron, hits the market later this year.
Why Novo Is Moving Fast
Novo Nordisk is in a race to claim the first-mover advantage in the oral market. While injections were the breakthrough of 2024 and 2025, 2026 is becoming the year of the pill. By lowering the price to $149, Novo is targeting the millions of Americans who are currently paying for these drugs out of pocket or using compounded versions.
Investors are watching to see if Novo can actually keep up with the demand that this low price will create. Past shortages of Wegovy shots left the door open for Eli Lilly to gain market share. This time, Novo seems focused on keeping the supply chain moving while the pills are still the only oral option on pharmacy shelves.
Is Novo Nordisk a Good Buy?
Across Wall Street, Novo Nordisk shares remain a Moderate Buy based on analysts’ consensus. This breaks down to four Buys, four Holds, and one Sell issued by 9 analysts over the past three months.
The average 12-month NVO price target of $55.25 implies roughly 5.5% upside from current trading levels.
