Oral semaglutide shows promising results in trials

Leading global healthcare company, Novo Nordisk, has presented a new data from the recently conducted trial that explored a variety of patients, adding to the evidence supporting a potential treatment option.

Four abstracts in total were presented, highlighting a breadth of results with oral semaglutide 25mg during global conference ObesityWeek 2025 held in Atlanta, GA.

“Novo Nordisk has pioneered innovation in the obesity class for 25 years, and the oral semaglutide data at ObesityWeek conference in USA reflect our campaign to improve the lives of people living with obesity,” said Martin Holst Lange, chief scientific officer and executive vice president of Research & Development at Novo Nordisk.

“The Oasis 4 results that we are sharing at this important meeting build on existing clinical trial evidence for oral semaglutide and extend findings beyond weight loss to suggested improvements in overall health.”

A cardiometabolic post analysis from the Oasis 4 phase 3 clinical trial examined how the amount of weight patients lost affects glycemic parameters (blood sugar control) and cardiovascular (CV) risk factors in adults with overweight and obesity.

In participants with overweight or obesity, once-daily oral semaglutide 25 mg treatment compared with placebo led to greater improvements in glycemic parameters, including HbA1c, fasting plasma glucose, and fasting serum insulin, as well as CV risk factors such as C-reactive protein and serum triglycerides.

Talking to Gulf Today, Dr. Noor Naji, Consultant Internal Medicine & Consultant Obesity Medicine, Burjeel Medical City, Abu Dhabi, said: ”Oral semaglutide 25 mg (often referred to as Wegovy in a pill), has shown very promising results in clinical trials, demonstrating around 17% average weight reduction, comparable to injectable GLP-1 agonists.

This represents a major advance in obesity treatment, offering patients the efficacy of injectable semaglutide in an oral formulation.”

She further pointed that “however, the medication is still under FDA review and has not yet been approved or registered in any country. Pending regulatory clearance, it could become a game-changer in accessibility and patient adherence for obesity management.”

Oral semaglutide 25 mg (“Wegovy in a pill) could significantly impact the UAE market once approved. With obesity rates exceeding 35–40%, a high-efficacy oral option (~17% weight loss) would drive huge patient demand, particularly among those reluctant to use injections. However, it’s not yet approved or available in any country,” Dr. Noor added.