The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Novo Nordisk’s oral formulation of semaglutide, branded as the Wegovy pill, for chronic weight management and cardiovascular risk reduction. The agency cleared the once‑daily tablet after phase 3 data showed clinically meaningful weight loss, with the highest dose producing roughly 16.6% mean weight reduction at 64 weeks versus placebo. The approval opens an oral route for a GLP‑1 therapy that until now was available mainly as injections, potentially expanding access and simplifying logistics for patients and payers. Clinicians will need to manage similar gastrointestinal side effects and dosing instructions (empty stomach) as with previous oral GLP‑1s; payers and manufacturers are already preparing commercial launch activity for early January.