Novo Nordisk
Pharma maker of Ozempic, Wegovy, and Rybelsus (semaglutide), plus diabetes care
https://www.wegovy.comProducts from Novo Nordisk
- Top pick1
The first FDA-approved GLP-1 pill for weight loss
- First and only FDA-approved oral GLP-1 indicated for weight management
- Phase 3 OASIS 4 weight loss comparable to injectable Wegovy 2.4 mg
- Also FDA-approved to reduce major adverse cardiovascular events in eligible adults
FDA-approvedBrand-nameDaily oral tabletGLP-1 receptor agonistInsurance eligible - 2Runner-upEditor's Choice
FDA-approved semaglutide for chronic weight management
- Among the most effective FDA-approved weight-loss medications, with about 15% average body-weight reduction in large randomized trials (STEP 1 and STEP 5)
- Documented cardiovascular benefit: a 20% reduction in heart attack, stroke, and cardiovascular death in adults with established heart disease who are overweight or obese (SELECT trial)
- Once-weekly injection, with a newer once-daily oral pill option approved in December 2025 for patients who prefer to avoid needles
FDA-approvedBrand-nameOnce-weekly injectionGLP-1 receptor agonistInsurance eligible - 3Also great
Semaglutide approved for type 2 diabetes
- Strong, well-documented blood-sugar control, lowering A1C by roughly 1 to 2 percentage points in trials
- Reduced the combined rate of major cardiovascular events (heart attack, stroke, CV death) by 26% in high-risk patients in the SUSTAIN-6 trial, driven mainly by fewer strokes
- Newly FDA-approved (January 2025, based on the FLOW trial) to reduce the risk of worsening kidney disease in type 2 diabetes with chronic kidney disease, the broadest indication in its class
Off-label useOnce-weekly injectionGLP-1 receptor agonistInsurance eligible - 4
Oral semaglutide for type 2 diabetes
- The only FDA-approved oral GLP-1 receptor agonist, offering needle-free therapy for people who dislike injections
- Strong blood-sugar control: A1C reductions of about 1.0-1.4% at 14 mg, outperforming common oral diabetes drugs like sitagliptin and empagliflozin
- First and only oral GLP-1 with an FDA-approved cardiovascular risk-reduction indication, backed by the 9,650-patient SOUL trial
FDA-approvedBrand-nameDaily oral tabletGLP-1 receptor agonist - 5
Daily liraglutide for weight loss
- Backed by large randomized trials (the SCALE program enrolled thousands of participants) and nearly a decade of real-world safety data since liraglutide's weight-loss approval in 2014
- Clinically meaningful results: about 63% of patients lost 5% or more of body weight in the pivotal SCALE trial
- One of the few weight-management drugs FDA-approved for adolescents aged 12-17, not just adults
FDA-approvedBrand-nameDaily injectionGLP-1 receptor agonist