Most people who take Ozempic have to inject it weekly - now they can order a pill version on Amazon and have it delivered the same day.
And the pill is already Novo Nordisk's best launch in a decade.
What Just Changed
Ozempic and Wegovy used to mean weekly shots, which most patients hate.
Imagine the difference between booking a doctor's office visit every week and grabbing a vitamin off the kitchen counter. That's the gap an oral GLP-1 closes.
Novo Nordisk launched a once-daily pill version of Wegovy in January and a pill version of Ozempic last week, and both can now be ordered for same-day delivery through Amazon.
CEO Mike Doustdar told Fox Business the launch is going so well that it's already "the best product launch in the last decade," with more than 1 million patients trying the Wegovy pill in its first 16 weeks and Q1 sales topping $350 million.
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How The Pill Format Changes Novo's Business
Pills change the GLP-1 game in two ways.
They're easier for patients - no needles, no fridge storage, no specialty pharmacy. And pills are faster to scale up than injectables, which need more complex manufacturing.
Eli Lilly - Novo's main rival - has its own oral GLP-1 candidate, orforglipron, awaiting an FDA decision after completing late-stage trials, so the pill race is far from over.
Wegovy treats obesity, while Ozempic is prescribed for Type 2 diabetes.
Doustdar said Wegovy's pill will be "the flagship," but the Ozempic pill should also "find its good space" thanks to the brand.
How This Changes The Race With Eli Lilly
Novo and Eli Lilly have spent two years fighting for market share in GLP-1s, with Lilly's tirzepatide (sold as Mounjaro and Zepbound) catching up fast.
Pills change the math - manufacturing pills costs less than injectables, the supply chain is simpler, and patients prefer them.
Whichever company gets a working pill to market first - and to scale first - has the edge, and with Lilly's orforglipron still awaiting an FDA decision expected this month, Novo's pill rollout is its head start.
Lower US Prices Are Cutting Revenue
Novo cut a deal with the Trump administration to lower US prescription prices, and Doustdar said it's a short-term hit to revenue.
His take: cheaper drugs reach more patients, and more patients eventually means more volume. "Longer term, it's the right thing to do," he said.
What To Watch
Novo also teased a new liver-disease drug in development that could reduce the need for liver transplants - if the early data holds up, it's another billion-dollar market in the making.
For investors, the read is simple: pills sell faster than shots, and Novo is winning the pill race for now.
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