Novo Nordisk launches Wegovy pill in Germany, its first EU market

As Novo Nordisk ↗ 0.02% expands the global footprint of its blockbuster weight-loss drug Wegovy, the cardiovascular benefits first demonstrated in the SELECT trial remain central to the medication's growing dominance and widening insurance coverage.

The Trial That Changed the Game

The SELECT trial, one of the largest cardiovascular outcomes studies of a weight-loss medication, showed that Wegovy reduced the risk of heart attack, stroke, or cardiovascular death by 20% compared to a placebo in more than 17,600 adults with established cardiovascular disease and obesity or overweight but without diabetes. Those findings, published in the New England Journal of Medicine in late 2023, led the FDA in March 2024 to approve Wegovy as the first weight-management drug with a cardiovascular-benefit indication.biopharmadive+4

More recent data have reinforced the drug's position. Results from the STEER real-world study, presented at the European Society of Cardiology Congress in late August 2025, showed Wegovy delivered a 57% greater reduction in risk of heart attack, stroke, and cardiovascular death compared to Eli Lilly's ↘ 0.79% rival treatment tirzepatide in patients with overweight or obesity and cardiovascular disease.pharmexec+1

A Pill Expands the Reach

Novo Nordisk launched the oral tablet form of Wegovy in Germany on September 1, making it the first country in the European Union where the pill is available, according to Reuters. The pill had already launched earlier this year in the United States, Britain, and the United Arab Emirates. Germany's pharmacy retail prices are expected to range between 170 and 280 euros, comparable to the injectable pen.euronews+1

The pill format has proven a commercial success. Novo Nordisk reported that Wegovy pill prescriptions in the U.S. surpassed 3 million between January and early June 2026, with roughly one prescription filled every five seconds. CEO Mike Doustdar said the company estimated the Wegovy pill had captured 90% of the oral obesity market.reuters+1

Market and Competitive Implications

The cardiovascular indication has been a key differentiator for Wegovy, broadening insurance coverage and giving Novo Nordisk leverage against competitors. Denmark raised its 2026 economic growth forecast for the fourth time in August, citing a bigger-than-expected boost from the Wegovy pill. The New York Times reported that investors remain focused on the long-term outlook, particularly as the U.S. patent on semaglutide, the active ingredient in both Wegovy and Ozempic, is set to expire in the early part of the next decade.nytimes+1