New pill forms of Ozempic, Wegovy a diabetes, weight-loss ‘game-changer’

New weight-loss drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy have radically changed the lives of dieters worldwide.

And that revolution in weight loss is about to take another dramatic turn now that drugmakers have developed a pill form of semaglutide, the active ingredient in those drugs.

Currently, semaglutide must be injected on a weekly basis — an uncomfortable process that turns off some potential patients.

A pill swallowed once a day could solve that problem.

“It really is a game changer,” Dr. Robert Gabbay, the chief scientist of the American Diabetes Association, told NBC News.

“The nice thing about tablets is that virtually everyone is used to taking a tablet for something, even if it’s just a vitamin. It’s not a big deal,” said Gabbay. 

Two clinical trials, presented at the 2023 ADA Scientific Sessions meeting in San Diego, show promising results.

Novo Nordisk — the maker of Ozempic — found that a daily dose of 25 or 50 milligrams of semaglutide was effective at reducing levels of blood sugar (glycated hemoglobin, or HbA1c).

The trial participants also lost an average of 15% of their body weight after 68 weeks, according to the study published in the Lancet medical journal.

The pill isn’t perfect, however: About 80% of users reported gastrointestinal problems that were mild to moderate, and about 6% of users quit the trial because of those side effects.

Drugmaker Lilly also presented trial results for an oral weight-loss drug at the ADA conference. People taking their drug, named orforglipron, lost up to 14.7% of their body weight after 36 weeks.

Together, those two advances could mark a turning point in the fight against obesity and the rise in Type 2 diabetes cases.

The easy-to-take pills could also become blockbuster drugs for companies like Lilly and Novo Nordisk.

“Some people are just needle-phobic,” BMO Capital Markets Analyst Evan David Seigerman told the Wall Street Journal.

Seigerman estimates the new pill forms of these weight-loss drugs could soon reach $100 billion in annual global sales — even though they’re approved only for people with Type 2 diabetes.

Nonetheless, doctors have been prescribing the injectables off-label for weight loss, with users — including celebrities such as Elon Musk; Sharon Osbourne; Lauren Manzo, daughter of “Real Housewives of New Jersey” star Caroline; and ex-“Housewife” Dolores Catania — reporting stunning results.