People Who Took Wegovy Pill Instead Of Injection Still Lost Weight, Data Suggests

People who went from taking obesity injections to using Novo's Wegovy pill continued to lose weight, according to newly released data.

People who switched from injections to taking the pill were followed for three months and continued to lose weight. The news is based on an examination of data that the company provided Wednesday.

The real-world study did not establish causality, but the results could mean the pill might help people maintain the weight-loss results they saw after injections.

"We have the unique benefit that, in the market, the subcutaneous Wegovy can now be interchanged with a tablet of Wegovy, and the patient can expect the same tolerability profile, the same safety profile, and actually a little bit more weight loss, which is what a lot of them want," Martin Holst Lange, Novo's chief scientific officer, said in an interview with CNBC.

The Wegovy pill is taken daily, while the injections are taken weekly. The prescription medications can help people lose weight, reducing the risk of long-term health issues like heart disease and strokes.

The analysis found that:

• People who switched from injectable GLP-1 based therapies for weight management to pills lost an average of 8.8 pounds in three months
• At three months of switching to the pill, two in five participants, 40.7 percent, achieved 5 percent or more weight loss
• Among participants with available data, about 82.4 percent reported at least one treatment improvement, including better-fitting clothes (69 percent) and healthier eating (51 percent)

"We innovate to meet people with obesity where they are. Some people may choose to switch from injectable to pill — whether that is because of needle anxiety, lifestyle, or simply personal preference," said Martin Holst Lange, executive vice president, head of Research & Development, and chief scientific officer at Novo.

"The OCTANE data give us a unique and encouraging early look at what happened in a real-world analysis where patients switched from injectable therapies. After switching, patients experienced significant weight loss and reported treatment satisfaction and lifestyle improvements. That combination of results is promising for future research," he said.

The company stated that the real-world evidence suggests a potential alternative for people reluctant or unable to use injections.

"In everyday clinical practice, we see patients who respond well to injectable GLP-1 based therapy but who, for personal or practical reasons, want to try an oral option," said Louis J. Aronne, MD, Director of the Comprehensive Weight Control Center, Weill Cornell Medicine, and co-author of the study. "What the OCTANE data showed is that a switch to oral semaglutide may be a viable path for the right patient, with real weight loss and lifestyle improvements in the first three months."