In Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly’s competition to launch their respective GLP-1 obesity pills in the United States, the Danish company got a three-month head start earlier this year, which has proven to be crucial as Lilly is still playing catch up.
Now it appears Novo will gain a similar advantage across the Atlantic, as the European Commission has granted marketing authorization for the Wegovy pill for adults with obesity or who are overweight.
Novo could gain an even greater advantage over Lilly in Europe, as it remains unclear when the Indianapolis drugmaker will begin selling its GLP-1 pill, Foundayo, there. European regulators are still reviewing the company’s application.
Three weeks ago, Lilly’s International President Patrik Jonsson told Reuters that the launch could come by the end of the year or in early 2027 and added that U.S. President Donald Trump’s most favored nations (MFN) pricing policy “will play a role for all launches.”
In addition to endorsing the Wegovy pill, the European Commission also approved the high-dose, 7.2-mg version of Wegovy, which could produce greater weight loss than the standard maximum dose of 2.4 mg. Under its national priority voucher program, the FDA approved the high-dose Wegovy pen in March.
In the 72-week Step Up trial, which paved the way for the high-dose Wegovy approvals, patients receiving the 7.2-mg dose lost an average of 20.7% of their body weight, compared with 17.5% among patients receiving the 2.4-mg dose and 2.4% among those receiving a placebo.
As for the EU approval of Wegovy pill, Novo called it a “landmark moment in the treatment of obesity in Europe,” as it becomes the first GLP-1 receptor available in tablet form.
“Obesity is a serious chronic disease, and choice can make a real difference,” Mike Doustdar, CEO of Novo Nordisk, said in a release. “For many people, a tablet may be a simpler and more acceptable way to start and continue treatment. This is more than a regulatory milestone—it is a step toward better and lasting health for people with obesity and a strong societal response to one of Europe’s most significant health challenges.”
In the Oasis trial, a daily 25-mg dose of Wegovy produced 17% weight loss, compared with 3% for placebo, with one in three patients losing at least 20% of their body weight.
In the first quarter, Novo reported $355 million in sales of the Wegovy pill. Weekly IQVIA data indicate that prescriptions for the Wegovy pill are far outpacing those for Foundayo. In the most recent report, Wegovy logged 153,000 weekly U.S. prescriptions, compared with 19,550 for Foundayo.
The figure for Lilly’s drug came during its 13th week on the market. By comparison, the Wegovy pill generated more than 105,000 prescriptions in its 13th week after launch.