Weight-loss pill "Wegovy" available in German pharmacies from 1 September

The Wegovy weight-loss pill from Danish manufacturer Novo Nordisk will be available in German pharmacies from 1 September. Following EU approval in July, Germany is the first country in which Wegovy is being sold. Novo Nordisk described the authorisation as a "milestone".

The prescription-only medicine is intended as an alternative to the weight-loss injection already on the market and works with the same active ingredient: semaglutide. It mimics a gut hormone that is responsible for the feeling of fullness.

The retail pharmacy price of the weight-loss pill is expected to be between 170 and 280 euros, a spokesperson for the manufacturer explained. While the injectable version of Wegovy has already been approved for children aged 12 and over, the tablet form is only approved for adults.

When taking semaglutide tablets, adults with overweight reduced their body weight by an average of around 13.6 percent, according to the OASIS-4 study, which essentially formed the basis for EU approval. It was carried out by an international team of researchers.

In the trial, 205 participants took the drug. A further 102 participants received a placebo. With the injection, the average weight loss was higher, at 19 percent. However, the treatment period in that study was 72 weeks, two months longer than for the tablet (64 weeks).

As with the injection, the oral version also comes with side effects: many patients who use the medicine experience gastrointestinal complaints, including nausea and diarrhoea. It can also lead to inflammation of the pancreas.

Compared with the injection, the tablet has to be taken every day. For the injection, administering it once a week is sufficient. For both products, however, what matters alongside regular use is diet and exercise, said Julia Szendrödi, president of the German Diabetes Association.

100 billion dollar market

"Whether injection or tablet: medicines against obesity are not miracle cures for optimising weight, but components of a therapy for a chronic disease," said Szendrödi.

The use of products such as Wegovy is always part of a broader treatment concept. These drugs do not replace prevention, Szendrödi added. There is a need for better nutrition labelling, quality standards for school meals and restrictions on advertising unhealthy foods to children.

Globally, the market for weight-loss medicines is fiercely contested. According to analysts, by 2030 it could be bringing in 100 billion dollars a year for pharmaceutical companies, business daily Handelsblatt reports. Various products are now available. In the United Kingdom, for instance, the pill "Foundayo" from US manufacturer Eli Lilly will be on sale from the end of August.

These weight-loss medicines are intended for people with obesity, with a body mass index (BMI) above 30. In cases of conditions such as type 2 diabetes or sleep apnoea that are linked to excess weight, they can also be used below a BMI of 30.

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