Americans can now buy the starter dose of the widely used weight loss drug Wegovy in pill form. The announcement was made on Monday by drugmaker Novo Nordisk. Higher strengths of the medication are expected to be rolled out as pills by the end of the week.Wegovy Pill: How Much The Pill Costs Compared To InjectionsThe once-a-day pill is available with a prescription and is generally cheaper than the weekly injection for people paying out of pocket. This applies to patients who choose to purchase the drug directly from Novo Nordisk and do not use insurance. Until now, Wegovy’s high price had kept it out of reach for many people trying to lose weight, especially since most private insurance plans do not cover obesity treatment.The oral starter dose of 1.5 mg costs $149 per month for cash-paying patients. This pricing follows a recent agreement between Novo Nordisk and the Trump administration. The 4 mg pill is priced the same until April 15, after which it will rise to $199 per month. Higher doses come at a steeper cost. The 9 mg and 25 mg pills are priced at $299 a month, according to the company.By comparison, the injectable version of Wegovy costs $349 per month for people paying without insurance. However, new users can access two months of the lowest two injection doses at $199 each until March, Novo Nordisk says.Wegovy Pill: What Insured Patients May PayAs per CNN, Patients whose insurance plans do cover Wegovy for obesity may pay as little as $25 a month for either the pill or the injection through a savings programme offered by the company. The pill can be obtained through pharmacies, selected telehealth platforms, NovoCare Pharmacy, and other approved outlets.Wegovy is also approved to lower the risk of heart attack, stroke, and death in adults who are overweight or obese and already have heart disease.Wegovy Pill: FDA Approval And How The Pill PerformsThe US Food and Drug Administration approved the daily pill version of Wegovy in late December. According to Novo Nordisk, clinical trials showed that the pill led to weight loss and side effects that were broadly similar to those seen with the injectable form.Like the injection, the pill contains semaglutide. This is the same active ingredient used in Wegovy’s diabetes counterpart, Ozempic.Wegovy Pill: Competition from Eli LillyRival drugmaker Eli Lilly is also working on an oral GLP-1 medication. The drug, currently known as orforglipron, is still awaiting a brand name. It is expected to receive FDA approval by summer and will also launch with a $149 starting price under the same Trump administration agreement. Higher doses of orforglipron could cost up to $399 a month for patients paying cash, as per CNN.Wegovy Pills Are More EffectiveThe Wegovy pill and Lilly’s orforglipron have not been directly compared in a single clinical trial. However, results from separate studies give some insight. The Wegovy pill led to an average weight loss of 14 percent over 64 weeks, compared with 2 percent in people taking a placebo. Orforglipron showed an average weight loss of 11 percent over 72 weeks at its highest dose, also compared with 2 percent for placebo.In trials of injectable versions, Wegovy resulted in about 15 percent weight loss, versus 2 percent for placebo. Lilly’s Zepbound showed even higher results, with 21 percent weight loss at its highest dose, compared with 3 percent for placebo.Wegovy Pill Side Effects And DropoutsDigestive problems such as nausea and vomiting remain the most common side effects of GLP-1 drugs. These issues were also reported in studies of the pill versions. Around 7 percent of participants taking the Wegovy pill stopped treatment because of side effects, compared with 6 percent in the placebo group. In orforglipron’s trial, up to 10 percent of patients discontinued treatment, compared with 3 percent on placebo.One key difference lies in how the medications are used. The Wegovy pill must be taken on an empty stomach with a small amount of water. Patients are advised not to eat, drink, or take other medicines for at least 30 minutes afterward. Doctors say this requirement has limited the use of Rybelsus, the pill form of semaglutide approved for diabetes, compared with Ozempic.Eli Lilly highlights that orforglipron was taken once daily in trials without restrictions on food or water, which may make it easier for patients to use consistently.