Remarkable Weight Loss With Once Daily Semaglutide Pill

Early findings from a phase 3 clinical trial demonstrated that participants treated with 50 mg oral semaglutide achieved a remarkable weight loss of 17.4%. This research could lead to a once-daily pill alternative to popular weight loss injections such as Ozempic and Wegovy.

Novo Nordisk shared encouraging results from OASIS 1, a phase 3 clinical trial for the once-daily oral semaglutide 50 mg for weight management in 667 adults dealing with obesity. 

The groups in the trial received either oral semaglutide or a placebo in combination with lifestyle intervention. The trial results showed superior weight loss after 68-weeks among those taking the drug compared to the placebo.

“The results show comparable weight loss as in the STEP 1 trial with injectable semaglutide 2.4 mg in obesity branded as Wegovy,” Martin Holst Lange, executive vice president of development at Novo Nordisk, said in a statement. 

From an average weight of 232.4 pounds, or 105.4 kg, individuals treated with 50 mg of oral semaglutide lost 17.4% on average of their body weight after 68 weeks, in contrast to a 1.8% reduction observed in the placebo group. Additionally, nearly 90% of the participants achieved a weight loss of at least 5%, compared to only 24.5% in the placebo group. 

These findings are consistent with the PIONEER PLUS trial, which investigated the weight loss from high dose oral semaglutide for people with type 2 diabetes.

Oral semaglutide, available at 3 mg, 7 mg, and 14 mg doses and sold as Rybelsus, is currently used to treat type 2 diabetes. Wegovy, an injectable form of the same medication, is also approved for weight loss. If this high dose oral semaglutide eventually receives FDA approval, it could provide a choice between a daily tablet or a weekly injection, providing people with obesity and their healthcare providers options that best suit individual preferences.

To learn more about semaglutide and weight loss, read our other articles:

• How Ozempic Became a Celebrity Weight Loss Sensation

• Diabetes Drug Ozempic Approved for Weight Loss

• Weight Loss Medication Guidelines

• FDA Accelerates Review of Type 2 Drug Mounjaro for Weight Loss

• FDA Approves Mounjaro (Tirzepatide) for Diabetes Treatment

• Healthy Eating Tips for People With Diabetes

• Weight Loss, Keeping Lost Pounds Off – Is there a Recipe for Success?

• Can the Miracle Drug Metformin Also Help You Lose Weight?

About the authors

Arvind Sommi

Arvind Sommi joined the diaTribe Foundation in 2021 after graduating with Phi Beta Kappa and honors from the University of Florida where he majored in Biology and minored in Sociology.... Read the full bio »