UK approves first daily oral GLP-1 weight-loss pill

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) gave its first approval for a once‑daily GLP‑1 receptor agonist tablet – semaglutide 25 mg – developed by Novo Nordisk. The pill, the first oral GLP‑1 approved in the UK, offers an alternative to weekly injections for adults with obesity or overweight and a weight‑related condition, to be used alongside diet and exercise. Approval is based on the phase‑3 OASIS 4 trial, in which participants lost an average 13.6 % of body weight after 64 weeks, compared with 2.4 % on placebo.

The drug will be launched on the private market within weeks, with private clinics and high‑street pharmacies preparing to stock it; it is not yet available on the NHS and pricing remains unclear. Waiting lists at online pharmacies are reported to exceed 100,000 patients. The pill follows earlier approvals of semaglutide injections (Wegovy) in the US and UAE, and is expected to expand treatment options for obesity in the UK.