First GLP‑1 pill approved
The FDA has approved oral semaglutide as the first GLP‑1 pill for weight loss, creating a non‑injection option under the Wegovy brand. (ajmc.com) Regulators are simultaneously asking Eli Lilly for more safety data on its new GLP‑1 pill Foundayo, including potential links to liver, heart and gastrointestinal issues, and clinicians are flagging muscle‑preservation as a central question for people who lose appetite on these drugs. (aol.com) Medical and nutrition outlets note companies are already reformulating higher‑protein, nutrient‑dense foods aimed at GLP‑1 users to help protect lean mass while dieting. (medicalnewstoday.com) (nutritioninsight.com)
A new kind of weight-loss drug is arriving in U.S. medicine cabinets: the same glucagon-like peptide-1 treatment, but in a pill instead of a shot. (accessdata.fda.gov) The Food and Drug Administration approved Wegovy tablets in 2025 for adults with obesity, or adults with overweight plus at least one weight-related condition, to be used with diet and exercise. The label also says the tablets can be used to reduce the risk of heart attack, stroke, and cardiovascular death in adults with cardiovascular disease and obesity or overweight. (accessdata.fda.gov) Wegovy is semaglutide, a drug that mimics a gut hormone that slows stomach emptying and reduces appetite. The tablet label carries the same boxed warning already used for semaglutide products about thyroid C-cell tumors seen in rodents, and it lists common stomach side effects such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, and abdominal pain. (accessdata.fda.gov) The shift from injection to tablet changes the competition between Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly, which is selling its own obesity pill, Foundayo. Reuters reported this week that the Food and Drug Administration asked Lilly for more safety data tied to liver injury, cardiovascular events, and delayed gastric emptying after approving Foundayo earlier this month. (cnbc.com) The same Reuters report said Foundayo began selling last week, while oral Wegovy has been on the market since January 2026. It also said oral Wegovy produced about 14% weight loss over 64 weeks in trials, compared with about 11% over 72 weeks for Foundayo, though the pills differ in dosing rules because Lilly says Foundayo can be taken without food or water restrictions. (cnbc.com) Doctors are also focusing on what patients lose along with fat. A study of 332 adults presented ahead of the European Congress on Obesity found that 116 people using glucagon-like peptide-1 drugs averaged about 54 grams of protein a day, versus 62 grams for non-users, and were more likely to skip meals. (today.com) That study found protein intake in glucagon-like peptide-1 users averaged 0.6 grams per kilogram of body weight per day, while the 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend 1.2 to 1.6 grams per kilogram per day for adults. Lead author Valentina Vinelli said “protecting muscle mass should be a central goal” of treatment. (today.com) Food companies are already building products around that concern. Nutrition Insight reported Thursday that ingredient suppliers including FrieslandCampina Ingredients, Valio, and Roquette are pitching higher-protein formulations for glucagon-like peptide-1 users, with suggested protein targets of roughly 1.2 to 2 grams per kilogram to help preserve lean mass while people eat less. (nutritioninsight.com) The result is that the obesity-drug market is no longer just about weekly injections and monthly prescriptions. It now includes tablet dosing rules, post-marketing safety studies, and a fast-growing business in smaller, more protein-dense foods built for people whose appetite has changed. (accessdata.fda.gov)
