Wegovy pill launches in the UAE as Novo Nordisk expands global access to obesity care - Healthy.mt

Wegovy pill launches in the UAE as Novo Nordisk expands global access to obesity care

Novo Nordisk has announced the launch of Wegovy^® pill (semaglutide tablets) in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the first country outside the United States to make the Wegovy^® pill available to people living with obesity.

The launch marks an important step in Novo Nordisk’s ambition to expand access to innovative obesity treatments and broaden treatment options for people living with obesity around the world.

“I am thrilled that Wegovy^® pill is now available in the UAE,” said Emil Kongshøj Larsen, executive vice president, International Operations at Novo Nordisk.

“This launch represents an important milestone in our ambition to expand access to innovative obesity care globally. As we look to future launches, our approach will be guided by local patient demand, the readiness of healthcare professionals, and the strength of healthcare and telehealth infrastructure that can support long-term obesity care. The UAE has demonstrated strong momentum across all of these areas, and we look forward to bringing Wegovy^® pill to additional select countries in the coming months.”

The Wegovy^® pill is the first oral glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist therapy approved for weight management. The approval is based on the OASIS 4 trial programme.

Wegovy^® pill is also the only weight-loss pill approved by both the FDA and the Emirates Drug Establishment (EDE) to reduce the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), including heart attack and stroke, in adults with established cardiovascular disease and obesity or overweight.

Worldwide, 1 billion people live with obesity, and in the UAE, 28% of adults are living with obesity, with almost 7.5 million people projected to be living with obesity or overweight by 2035.

Novo Nordisk has previously announced that we will launch Wegovy^® pill in select markets in the second half of 2026.

Obesity is a serious, chronic, progressive, and complex disease that requires long-term management. One key misunderstanding is that this is just a lack of willpower, when in fact there is underlying biology that may impede people with obesity from losing weight and keeping it off. Obesity is influenced by a variety of factors, including genetics, social determinants of health and the environment.

03.06.2026.

SOURCE

https://www.novonordisk.com/content/nncorp/global/en/news-and-media/news-and-ir-materials/news-details.html?id=916558 https://www.linkedin.com/company/novo-nordisk

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