No Shots Required: You Can Get the New Wegovy Pill From $25 a Month—and Doctors Say It Works!

Been curious about weight-loss medications like Wegovy, but can’t get past the thought of weekly injections? Here’s some game-changing news: A pill version of the popular GLP-1 medication Wegovy is now available—and it currently costs less than weekly injections. Here’s everything you need to know about this new weight-loss option, including how it works, what it costs and how to get it.

How the Wegovy pill compares to the injectable 

Pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk’s oral Wegovy pill received Food and Drug Administration approval on December 22, 2025, and officially became available in starter doses of 1.5 mg and 4 mg on January 5, 2026. Higher doses of 9 and 25 mg will also be sold. Like the injectable version of the GLP-1 drug, the new pill form still requires a doctor’s prescription.

Beyond the obvious difference—GLP-1 pill versus injection—there are other key distinctions in how these medications are used. Seth Michael Kipnis, MD, Medical Director of Bariatric and Robotic Surgery at Hackensack Meridian Jersey Shore University Medical Center, explains the main differences:

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Wegovy Pill

Frequency: The Wegovy pill is taken once daily. 

Administration: “[The Wegovy pill] is taken on an empty stomach with up to 4 oz of water,” says Dr. Kipnis. “[You] must wait 30 minutes before eating, drinking or taking other oral meds.” Best results will come from keeping it on the night table and taking it the moment you wake up. That gives it time to work before you eat anything. 

Effectiveness: The Wegovy pill “still works through GLP-1 receptor activation, reducing hunger signals, slowing gastric emptying and improving metabolic function,” explains Jobby John, PharmD, founder of Nimbus Healthcare and owner of a pharmacy in Austin, Texas. In trials, people with obesity lost 17 percent of their body weight over 64 weeks when taking a daily 25 mg Wegovy pill. Average weight-loss results on the Wegovy pill were 14 percent of participants’ body weight, and one in four adults lost 20 percent of their body weight.

Wegovy Injection

Frequency: The Wegovy injection is taken once weekly. 

Administration: Dr. Kipnis says the Wegovy injection is administered under the skin in the thigh, abdomen or upper arm  at least seven days apart.

Effectiveness: Studies show adults taking the weekly Wegovy injectable lost about 15 percent of their body weight over 68 weeks on average, and about one in three study participants lost 20 percent of their body weight.

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How much does the Wegovy pill cost?

Per Wegovy, the out-of-pocket cost is currently $149 per month for the 1.5 mg and 4 mg doses for those paying out of pocket. After April 15, the 4 mg dose will increase to $199 per month. The 9 mg and 25 mg doses of the Wegovy pill will cost $299. However, if your insurance covers the Wegovy pill, you could be eligible to pay as little as $25 per month.

Wondering if your insurance will cover the pill version? Richard Frank, MD, MHSA, Chief Medical Officer at Vida Health, offers insights.

“The jury is still out on whether insurance plans will be more likely to cover oral pills,” says Dr. Frank. “I expect that insurance companies will cover both forms as the expected cost is similar. However, if there is a significant price differential, insurance companies may choose one formulation over the other or place one form on a different tier.”

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Once your doctor prescribes the Wegovy pill, you can pick it up at major pharmacies like CVS or through telehealth platforms like Weight Watchers and Ro.

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Not long ago, the FDA announced there’s no longer a shortage of Ozempic, Wegovy, Zepbound or similar drugs used for weight loss. Is that good news for the millions of us who struggle with excess pounds? Not exactly. During the shortage, pharmacies were allowed to make special low-cost ‘compounded’ versions of the meds. But that […]

Who is the new GLP-1 pill for?

While your healthcare provider will help you decide whether the Wegovy pill works for your individual needs and weight-loss goals, we asked Dr. Kipnis to share who typically benefits most from this medication.

“The Wegovy pill is a good option for patients looking to lose weight for health reasons, including cardiac health, diabetes and other risks,” says Dr. Kipnis. “It will be prescribed to patients to reduce the risk of major cardiovascular events such as death, heart attack or stroke in adults with known heart disease and with either obesity or overweight and help adults with obesity, or some adults with excess weight (overweight) who also have weight-related medical problems, to lose weight and keep the weight off.”