What is the Wegovy tablet (oral semaglutide)?

Wegovy is a popular weight loss medication that contains that active ingredient semaglutide. It belongs to the glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) family of medications and is typically taken as a once-weekly injection to support people to lose weight alongside regular exercise and a healthy diet.

Since December 2025, Wegovy tablets (also known as oral semaglutide) have been approved as a weight loss treatment in the United States. Oral Wegovy is currently going through approval in the UK and looks set to be available in late 2026/early 2027 dependent on approval from the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).

Here, we’ll discuss how these Wegovy tablets work, how they’re different from injections, who can take them, and the possible side effects.

What are Wegovy tablets?

Wegovy tablets are an oral alternative to the well-known weight loss injection Wegovy (semaglutide). Once approved in the UK, they will be an effective and convenient medication to support weight loss.

Already sold as a weight loss medication in the UK, Wegovy is currently taken as a once-weekly injection. It’s available for people with a BMI of ≥30 kg/m2 or of ≥27 kg/m2 with at least one weight-related health condition (such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease, or sleep apnoea).

At a dose of 2.4mg a week, Wegovy injections can help people to lose an average 14.9% of their starting bodyweight in 68 weeks.

Wegovy tablets are an alternative way to take the medication without the need for injections, which can be painful and on rare occasions lead to injection site reactions.

Oral Wegovy tablets contain the same active ingredient, semaglutide, that belongs to the GLP-1 receptor agonist class of medication. Other medications in this class include tirzepatide (Mounjaro) and liraglutide (Nevolat).

In tablet form, Wegovy helped overweight or obese adults lose an average 13.6% of their bodyweight in 64 weeks.

How do Wegovy tablets work?

As Wegovy tablets contain the same active ingredients as the injections, semaglutide, they act in a similar way to:

• Slow down how quickly the stomach empties, making you feel fuller for longer

• Improve blood sugar regulation

• Reduce hunger cues in the brain

Together, these actions make it easier to eat fewer calories and lose weight. Wegovy, whether it’s taken as an injection or tablets, is only effective for weight loss when combined with a healthy reduced-calorie diet and regular exercise.

With Wegovy injections, the medication is deposited under the skin and continues to work for a week. You then take another injection after one week. With tablets, the drug is broken down in the stomach and gut more quickly, so you need to take a tablet every day.

Wegovy tablets have an added ingredient known as salcaprozate sodium (SNAC) that helps slow down how quickly the drug is broken down in the stomach. This allows semaglutide to stay around long enough to be absorbed into the blood and work effectively.

Wegovy tablet dosing

Wegovy tablets are available in the US in the following dose strengths:

• 1.5 mg

• 4 mg

• 9 mg

• 25 mg

It’s likely that the same doses will be available in the UK once the tablets are released here and they’ll probably be prescribed following the same dosing schedule.

If you’re not already taking Wegovy injections, you’ll usually start at the lowest tablet dose of 1.5mg and continue taking this dose every day for a month. After a month, you’ll typically increase to the next dose up and continue this increasing schedule every month.

Most people continue to increase their dose until they reach the 25mg daily maintenance dose.

For people who already take Wegovy injections, you may be able to switch over to a higher dose of Wegovy tablets that corresponds to your current injection dose, but this will need to be discussed with a healthcare professional.

Wegovy tablets should be swallowed with water (but not other liquids) first thing in the morning on an empty stomach. It’s important to wait at least 30 minutes after taking the tablet before eating or drinking anything else (including taking other tablets).

It’s important to note that as Wegovy tablets aren’t yet approved in the UK, the specifics around how they’re taken may differ to US guidelines. You should always follow the instructions found in the medication packaging and your healthcare provider’s advice.

Wegovy tablets vs injections

In clinical trials, both Wegovy tablets and injections seem to be effective for supporting weight loss. However, injections may lead to slightly more weight loss, on average, than tablets (14.9% vs 13.6%).

Injections need to be taken less often (once weekly compared to daily) but have a more nuanced regimen and invasive administartion when compared to the tablet version. Injections also require more equipment, and the used pens and needles need to be safely disposed of after use.

Although Wegovy tablets aren’t yet available in the UK, in the US Wegovy tablets are slightly more affordable than the Wegovy pens used for injections.

There are pros and cons to both types of medication. It’s an individual decision as to which is the better option for you, but a healthcare professional can offer advice on whether both options are safe for you to take based on your health.

Side effects of Wegovy tablets

The side effects of Wegovy tablets are similar to those of Wegovy injections.

Up to 10% of people taking Wegovy experience headaches, vomiting, nausea, diarrhoea, constipation, stomach pain, or fatigue.

Common side effects, impacting between 1-10% of individuals taking Wegovy, include:

• Dizziness

• Changes in sensation or taste

• Stomach inflammation

• Acid reflux or heartburn

• Burping and/or flatulence

• Bloating

• Gallstones

• Hair loss

• Injection site reactions (from injections)

More serious side effects are much rarer, and include things like:

• Pancreatitis

• Eye problems

• Allergic reactions

• Kidney/bladder stones

• Hip fractures

The US Wegovy tablet packaging contains warnings for:

• Risk of thyroid C-cell tumours (only found in studies of mice and rats)

• Gallbladder problems

• Pancreatitis

• Low blood sugar

• Kidney injury

• Severe stomach/digestive issues

• Allergic reactions

• Increased heart rate

• Increased risk when being put to sleep for surgery

In a study comparing people taking Wegovy tablets or injections for type 2 diabetes, people taking tablets were more likely to have to stop taking the medication due to the side effects. However, people taking the tablet form were more likely to be older and had an increased risk of developing gastrointestinal side effects like vomiting, nausea, or diarrhoea.

Who Wegovy tablets may suit

Wegovy tablets may be a good option for people who prefer the idea of a daily pill to a weekly injection. It’s particularly good for people who have an aversion to needles or who are unable to have injections for other reasons.

As Wegovy tablets can be stored at room temperature and don’t need to be refrigerated, they’re also much easier for people who travel regularly.

To take oral Wegovy, you’ll still have to meet the same BMI cut off as with the injections (a BMI of ≥30 kg/m2 or of ≥27 kg/m2 with at least one weight-related health condition).

Certain medications and health conditions may make Wegovy tablets (or injections) unsuitable for you. You may not be able to take Wegovy if you:

• Are pregnant or breastfeeding

• Are allergic to any of the ingredients

• Have a personal or family history of thyroid cancer or certain other cancers

A healthcare professional at Quick meds will always discuss your medical history with you before prescribing Wegovy to make sure it’s safe for you to take.

Once Wegovy tablets are approved by the MHRA, they will be available to purchase from Quick Meds. In the meantime, complete an online weight loss consultation to discuss alternative weight loss treatments with our experienced UK-based team.