Wegovy pills are once-daily tablets that support long-term weight loss by reducing appetite and slowing digestion. When taken daily alongside a healthy diet and regular exercise, they can help you reach a healthy weight even if you’ve struggled with weight loss in the past.
Wegovy contains the active ingredient semaglutide. It works by mimicking GLP-1, a hormone responsible for regulating appetite, digestion, and blood sugar. By doing this, semaglutide helps you to feel fuller for longer, reducing your appetite and causing you to naturally eat less.
Wegovy pills are the newest form of the effective weight loss treatment manufactured by Novo Nordisk. They offer similar results to the weekly injection, but are taken as a daily tablet. This may make them a more convenient option for people who don’t like injections.
Wegovy is also approved to reduce the risk of major cardiovascular events. A recent study shows that Wegovy reduced the risk of heart attack and stroke by 20%, offering protection for your heart alongside weight management.1
Wegovy pills have been found to offer similar weight loss results to injections in clinical trials. With daily use, you could lose 14% or more of your initial body weight in 64 weeks.2
While Wegovy pills and injections contain the same active ingredient, there are some key differences that could make one better suited to you than the other.
| Wegovy pill | Wegovy injection | |
|---|---|---|
| Active ingredient | Semaglutide | Semaglutide |
| Form | Oral tablet | Injection pen |
| Average weight loss | 14%2 | 17%3 |
| Weight loss >20% | 28% of people | 32% of people |
| Needle required? | No | Yes |
| Administered | Once-daily | Once-weekly |
| Dosing increases* | Increases every 30 days until the maximum dose is reached | Increases every 4 weeks until the maximum dose is reached |
| Side effects | Similar profile | Similar profile |
| Cost | - | £169.00 |
*The maximum dose of Wegovy pills is 25 mg per day, but you can stay on a lower dose long-term if preferred. Gradual dose escalation helps your body adjust to the medicine and lowers the risk of side effects.
Wegovy pills should be taken first thing in the morning on an empty stomach.
Take your tablet with water. Avoid eating, drinking or other oral medicines for 30 minutes afterwards.
Take one tablet at the same time every morning.
There are four doses of Wegovy pills available: 1.5 mg, 4 mg, 9 mg, and 25 mg (the maintenance dose). You typically increase the dose every 30 days until you reach the maximum, which can then be continued long term.
1st week
Congrats on starting Wegovy!
You may notice:
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1st month
Your first dose increase! Your body is learning how to respond to Wegovy.
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3rd month
The maintenance dose of 25 mg has been reached!
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1 year
A year on Wegovy is a major milestone.
By now, many patients have:
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Excellent
4.7
1471 patients have reviewed Wegovy pills on Trustpilot
Temitee , 07 Jun
Works well
Mrs GAYNOR S , 31 May
Not kept refrigerated in transit
N. L , 25 May
Slightly expensive for long run
Julie E , 17 May
Fantastic - works very well and had no side effects,
DeP , 17 May
First use. Okay using video.
Kelly , 01 May
Amazing, effective
Teresa T , 30 Apr
Does what it claims to do
Scott W , 30 Apr
Keep me thin
D S , 19 Apr
I found this much easier to use with fewer side effects than weight loss tablets. Does what it says. I found this more suitable because you lose weight gradually and so it’s not dramatic
| Type of medicine | GLP-1 receptor agonist |
| Used for | Obesity and weight loss |
| Active ingredient | Semaglutide |
| Works by | Mimicking a hormone that regulates blood sugar and appetite |
| Effective within | 4 weeks |
| Available as | Tablets |
| Available dosage(s) | 1.5 mg, 4 mg, 9 mg, 25 mg |
| Usage instructions | Take one pill daily on an empty stomach |
| Packaging | A pack containing 30 film-coated tablets |
| Manufacturer | Novo Nordisk |
| Generic available? | No |
| Storage | Store between 20-25°C in the original packaging |
Yes, you can certainly switch from Wegovy injections to pills, and the process is simple.
Depending on which dose you are taking for your injections, you can switch to the equivalent dose for pills. All that’s required is more than 4 weeks at your current dose with minimal side effects, and a gap of 7 days before switching. A doctor can recommend the right dose in your consultation should you decide to switch over.
Yes, you can take Wegovy pills alongside your birth control, whether that be the combined pill, mini pill, or other forms of contraception like the coil (IUD).
Unlike other weight loss treatments, such as Mounjaro, Wegovy does not have an impact on the effectiveness of birth control pills.
Wegovy pills are currently under review by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), and are expected to be available in the UK in late 2026.
You can enter your email address at the top of this page to be notified when they are available.
Most people should notice a change in their appetite within 1-4 weeks, and a change in weight should happen gradually soon after. However, people respond to treatment differently, so you may notice a change sooner or later depending on individual factors.
The effect of Wegovy gets stronger the higher the dosage, so while it can take only weeks to notice a change, peak effects are usually felt after 13 weeks once you reach 25 mg.
Wegovy pills are approved for long-term use, meaning there is no set date for when you stop taking them. Usually, people continue treatment until they reach a healthy weight they are happy with, or they continue to maintain it.
It can be beneficial to speak with your doctor and come up with a goal weight you would like to reach, and decide what you want to do once you reach it.
If you forget to take a Wegovy pill, skip the dose you missed and take your next one at the usual time. Do not take a double dose to make up for a missed one.
Don’t worry, there are no health risks associated with missing a dose, but you may notice a dip in effectiveness for a short while. That’s why daily dosing is important; it ensures a steady stream of semaglutide (the active ingredient) in the blood.
Yes, Wegovy pills can cause some side effects. However, most are mild, and not everyone will experience them.
The most common side effects of Wegovy include nausea, diarrhoea, vomiting, constipation, stomach pain, headache, fatigue, and heartburn. It’s important to tell your doctor about any side effects you experience so they can guide you through how best to manage them.
While there isn’t a direct interaction between Wegovy and alcohol, it is advised to drink alcohol in moderation during treatment.
This is for two reasons. First, alcohol can make side effects of Wegovy worse, especially gastrointestinal ones like nausea and vomiting. Second, alcohol is high in calories, which can get in the way of your weight loss goals.
No, semaglutide, the active ingredient in Wegovy, does not burn fat directly. It works by reducing your appetite and slowing digestion, which makes you eat less. This leads to weight loss over time, with the amount you lose dependant on how many calories you eat and burn each day.
Resources
1: Wegovy & cardiovascular/heart health: https://www.wegovy.com/about-wegovy/cardiovascular-events.html
2: Wegovy pill clinical trial: https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2500969
3: Wegovy injection clinical trial: https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2032183