The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recently approved a new pill version of the weight loss drug Wegovy, made by Novo Nordisk. This approval is a big deal in the world of obesity treatment. Currently, most weight loss drugs in this category are given as weekly injections. While these injections can help people lose a lot of weight, pills might be more convenient and could encourage more people to use them. Experts predict that both injectable and pill forms of these drugs could make over $100 billion each year by 2030. Novo Nordisk’s pill version of Wegovy will be available starting in early January. However, Eli Lilly, another major pharmaceutical company, is close behind with its own experimental weight loss pill, orforglipron, which might also get FDA approval soon. Novo Nordisk’s CEO, Mike Doustdar, expressed excitement about the new pill, stating that it could greatly benefit patients in the U.S. due to its effectiveness in weight loss. The FDA and other health agencies have been focusing on expanding the number of available obesity medications and improving access to them. Both Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly have made deals to lower the prices of their medications for certain groups, including some Medicare beneficiaries and those paying cash. The price for the starter doses of their oral drugs will be $149 a month. For Novo Nordisk, the approval of the oral Wegovy comes after some setbacks. The company had to prioritize meeting the high demand for their injectable drugs and had delayed the submission of the pill for approval. However, they have now completed successful trials for the pill, showing that it can help people lose a significant amount of weight. In one trial, people taking the approved dose of the Wegovy pill lost an average of 14% of their body weight over 71 weeks. The pill version of Wegovy contains a higher dose of the active ingredient compared to the injectable version, which is necessary because the drug has to pass through the digestive system. In comparison, Eli Lilly’s experimental pill, orforglipron, is a different type of drug that is easier to manufacture. The highest dose tested in trials was 36 milligrams per day.