The maker of the popular weight-loss drug Wegovy has released the medication in a pill form.
Novo Nordisk launched the pill form of the treatment less than a month after it was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Reuters reported.
Until now, Wegovy has come in an injectable form.
The semaglutide will be sold in several dosages: a 1.5 mg starter dose, a 9 mg dose and a long-term 25 mg dose.
The pill is being made in North Carolina, with the company saying it has been churning out the medication for some time, Reuters reported.
Right now, the starter dose is available, with higher doses available by the end of the week, CNN reported.
They are all available by prescription.
The costs are:
- 1.5 mg - $145/month when paying with cash
- 4 mg - $145/month until April 15, $199/month after April 15
- 9 mg - $299/month
- 25 mg - $299/month
The pill must be taken on an empty stomach with only a small amount of water. Then people cannot eat or drink anything for 30 minutes after taking it.
The injectable version costs $349 a month for those paying cash without using insurance, but new patients can get the two lowest doses for $199 each until March, the company said, according to CNN.
People using insurance may pay as low as $25 a month for either version.
Novo Nordisk competitor Eli Lilly is working on its own GLP-1 oral medication, but it has not yet been approved. The company plans on setting the starting price at $149, CNN reported.
Lilly’s version of its GLP-1 can be taken once a day at any time with no food or water restrictions.
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