GLP-1 tablets are well on their way!

[StrikeForever]

Just read this article in the Guardian and I know it will be of interest to others here. https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/feb/15/weight-loss-race-injections-pills-big-pharma?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

That’s wonderful news! Going to make such a difference on a population level.

I'm not chemist, but injections bypass the liver and reduce side affects. Sure they can mass produce and less wastage, make more money..

Sadly rhe price in rhe USA is not much cheaper than the price of the injections.

its 149 usd starting dose compared to 199 for the injecti0ns, but to rise in April to the same price.

the top dose is 299 of the pills and 349 for the injections. Switching is more about side effects and needle aversion, with small savings.

also for info zepbound is the brand name for mounjaro in the USA, that’s sold for weight loss.

Why? If it’s fairly close in price?

I’m on them. All good so far!

The prices will come down when the glut of WL tablets are released later in the year but as I said on another thread, the cost of living in the US may be higher but people earn more so the meds are practically more expensive in the UK.

There isn’t a glut. We have one from the makers of wegovy, it’s in final approval and called cagrisema and of course the wegovy pills, novo though have kept the pills close in price in the USA to the injections, likely available late rhis year or early next,

https://onlinedoctor.asda.com/uk/cagrisema.html

there is also retratrutide, from el lily which will likely be available next year,

onlinedoctor.superdrug.com/retatrutide.html

it does feel like big pharma are trying to maintain prices, and its two companies, so we need to see if one will blink and drop price to take market share.

So pills will have even worse side-effect?

That's not good news

Some people are needle phobic and I guess for someone who travels a lot, tablets might be easier.

unless there is a big difference in price, I will stick with the pen (maintenance now).

I don’t think there is more side effects in trials. But the doses are stronger as it has to be to be effectful if taken in pill format.

I really hope the side effects aren't greater as I would love to try these. I cant have injections as I react to most drugs so being able to stop after one day instead of having to wait out the week would be very useful. I'm also needle phobic.

Me too, I think a weekly one off injection is easy, I’d only consider moving to pills if significant price differential,

I think injections are fine for travelling, open pens or pens to be used in the next 3o days don’t need refrigeration, so you just bung with liquids in hand luggage.

There will undoubtedly be compounds, just like there are for the injections, and they will be cheaper. The vials put a lot of people off compound injections and I don’t blame them but that won’t be the case with the tablets.

I’m on the Wegovy tablet. It’s still early days for me but no side effects other than sluggish bowels.

Oh, I see

I thought it would be easier because you could stop taking a pill if it had bad side-effects

Never mind, just have to keep on keeping on with the boring stuff!

I waited for the tablets for that very reason and have had minimal side effects.

Compounds are currently globally illegal.

What is a compound, please? I mean in this particular situation.

Side effects of GLPs are mostly mechanical so bypassing the liver has no effect on them (eg nausea, vomiting)

It’s not true either. I hate it when people make blanket uninformed statements! And moving forward, I’d seek evidence before making life decisions and not go on the statement of a random on MN who starts a post full of typos ‘I’m not a chemist but….’

I wanted to get the answer precise so I have copied and pasted this from Google.

“Compounded GLP-1 medications are customized, non-FDA-approved drugs prepared by pharmacists, typically containing active ingredients like semaglutide or tirzepatide to treat obesity and type 2 diabetes”

It’s a grey area in the US. I wouldn’t take them but my point was they will be available and will bring the prices down, most likely.

Compounds won’t be available in the UK, as we don’t have the same rules and procedures as the US. Only the branded medication will be available until the patents run out for those, and then generics will be available from other manufacturers. That’s quite far away for Mounjaro but will be sooner for Wegovy. I can’t remember the exact dates but I think it’s 2032 for Mounjaro but 2028 for Wegovy.

SwiftDoctor have Rybelsus on their website which is semiglutide tablets, what’s the difference between that and the Wegovy one, does anyone know?

@Castieldeansam Rybelsus is a lower dosage than the new Wegovy tablet, the max dose of Rybelsus is 14mg I think whereas the new tablet max dose is 25mg. Rybelsus is only approved for T2 diabetes in the UK so any decision to prescribe it solely for weight loss would be an off label prescribing decision. When the new Wegovy tablet is approved in the UK it would be approved for weight loss specifically.

@SilenceInside thankyou.

It is the same drug semaglutide as the Wegovy injection so has the same 7 day half life however it is administered.

The major differences I think will be a more steady build up before levelling off, and it will more stable without the peaks and troughs of the weekly injection. But when you stop it will still take the same amount of time for the medication to completely leave your system.