Novo Nordisk Reports Real-World Wegovy Pill Data

Plainsboro, New Jersey, U.S., and Bagsværd, Denmark, September 30, 2026

OCTANE Study Evaluates Switching to Oral Semaglutide

The OCTANE study was a retrospective cohort analysis using de-identified data from the Ro telehealth platform. Researchers evaluated adults with overweight or obesity who switched from injectable semaglutide or tirzepatide to oral semaglutide and remained on treatment for three months. The study included 194 participants, with a mean baseline weight of 100.5 kilograms (221.6 pounds) and a mean BMI of 34.5 kg/m². Participants had either obesity or overweight with at least one obesity-related complication, including hypertension, dyslipidemia, obstructive sleep apnea or cardiovascular disease. Participants switched to oral semaglutide between January 5 and February 7, 2026, and researchers evaluated changes in body weight and BMI at approximately three months. The analysis required participants to remain on oral semaglutide during the follow-up period, with no treatment gap exceeding 30 days. The mean time between the last injectable prescription and initiation of oral semaglutide was 36.8 days.

Wegovy Pill Shows 4.1% Average Weight Reduction

After three months of treatment with oral semaglutide, participants experienced an average weight reduction of 4.0 kilograms (8.8 pounds), equivalent to 4.1% of baseline body weight. The result was statistically significant, with p<0.001. The findings provide an early indication of weight outcomes among people who transitioned from injectable GLP-1-based therapy to an oral formulation of semaglutide. The analysis also found that 40.7% of participants achieved at least 5% weight loss after three months. The proportion of participants with a BMI of at least 30 kg/m² declined from 87.1% at baseline to 65.5% at three months, representing a 21.6-percentage-point reduction. These findings were accompanied by self-reported lifestyle and treatment improvements among participants for whom relevant data were available. Among participants providing treatment-experience information, 82.4% reported at least one improvement. Approximately 69% reported that their clothes fit better, while around 51% reported healthier eating. These patient-reported outcomes provide additional information about experiences following the transition from injectable to oral weight-management treatment.

Novo Nordisk Highlights Real-World Evidence

The OCTANE findings represent one of the first real-world analyses examining outcomes among people who switch from injectable weight-loss therapy to oral semaglutide. Novo Nordisk said the study is part of a previously announced collaboration with Ro to evaluate real-world outcomes among users of weight-management medications. The company noted that real-world evidence can complement randomized controlled trials by providing information from routine clinical practice. However, the findings should be interpreted within the study’s limitations. OCTANE was a retrospective observational analysis and cannot establish causality. The researchers noted that routine telehealth data may vary in completeness and timing, self-reported information may be subject to bias, and requiring treatment persistence could introduce selection bias. The study population may also not represent the broader population of people using weight-management medicines.

Novo Nordisk reported that the Wegovy pill has launched in the United States, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom and Germany, with launches in additional selected markets planned in the coming quarters. The company also reiterated safety information associated with semaglutide tablets, including a boxed warning concerning possible thyroid tumors and common gastrointestinal adverse effects.

Source: Novo Nordisk press release