Wegovy Pill Availability
No, Wegovy is not available as a pill—it is only available as a once-weekly subcutaneous injection. Wegovy (semaglutide 2.4 mg) received FDA approval in June 2021 for chronic weight management in adults with obesity (BMI ≥30 kg/m²) or overweight (BMI ≥27 kg/m²) with at least one weight-related comorbidity, and it must be administered as a subcutaneous injection 1, 2.
Formulation Details
Wegovy is exclusively an injectable medication administered once weekly via subcutaneous injection, with no oral formulation approved for weight management 1, 3.
The medication comes in pre-filled, single-dose pens with a gradual dose escalation schedule starting at 0.25 mg weekly and titrating up to the maintenance dose of 2.4 mg weekly over 16 weeks 1.
Why the Confusion May Exist
Oral semaglutide does exist (Rybelsus), but it is FDA-approved only for type 2 diabetes treatment at doses of 3 mg, 7 mg, or 14 mg daily—not for weight management 4.
Oral semaglutide is significantly less potent for weight loss compared to injectable formulations, with injectable semaglutide 2.4 mg achieving 14.9% mean weight loss versus the modest weight loss seen with oral formulations 4, 1.
The American College of Gastroenterology acknowledges that oral semaglutide is less potent for weight management compared to injectable formulations, and clinical guidelines uniformly recommend injectable semaglutide 2.4 mg (Wegovy) when weight loss is the primary goal 4.
Clinical Efficacy of Injectable Wegovy
Injectable Wegovy demonstrated 14.9% mean weight loss at 68 weeks in the STEP 1 trial compared to 2.4% with placebo, with 64.9% of patients achieving ≥10% total body weight loss 1, 3.
Real-world data from 8,177 patients showed mean weight loss of -17.6% at 12 months and -20.4% at 24 months when combined with the WeGoTogether patient support program 5.
After 2 years of treatment in the STEP 5 trial, patients achieved -15.2% weight loss versus -2.6% with placebo, demonstrating sustained long-term efficacy 6.
Additional Cardiovascular Benefits
- In 2024, Wegovy received FDA approval to reduce the risk of cardiovascular death, heart attack, and stroke in adults with obesity or overweight and established cardiovascular disease, reducing major cardiovascular events from 8% to 6.5% (20% risk reduction) 1.
Bottom Line
If you are seeking weight management treatment with semaglutide, you must use the injectable formulation (Wegovy) administered once weekly. There is no pill version of Wegovy available on the market, and oral semaglutide (Rybelsus) is not FDA-approved or recommended for weight loss 4, 1.