Oral Wegovy reaches Spanish pharmacies at up to €236 a month

Novo Nordisk began selling oral Wegovy in Spanish pharmacies on 1 November. The medicine comes in boxes of 30 daily tablets and needs a prescription. Prices range from €179.89 to €236.20 a month, depending on the dose.

The 1.5mg and 4mg boxes each cost €179.89, according to 20minutos. The 9mg box costs €200.19, while the highest 25mg dose costs €236.20.

Spain’s public health system does not pay for the medicine. Patients therefore meet the full cost. Novo Nordisk’s head in Spain, Paula Barriga, said the company has discussed public funding with the Health Ministry. The talks cover both oral and injected Wegovy.

Who may be prescribed the tablets

The approved use is for certain adults without type 2 diabetes. It covers people with obesity, meaning a body mass index of 30 or more. It also covers people with an index of at least 27 and a health problem linked to weight.

The medicine is used with diet and exercise. It contains semaglutide, the same active ingredient found in Ozempic. Novo Nordisk says this is the only oral GLP-1 medicine approved for weight control.

What the trial found

The OASIS 4 trial included 307 adults with obesity or excess weight and a related health problem. It ran for 64 weeks.

People taking the 25mg tablet lost an average of 16.6% of their starting weight. Those given a placebo lost 2.8% on average. The figures are group averages from one trial. They do not directly compare the pill with injected Wegovy or any other weight-loss drug.

Novo Nordisk’s Spanish head said Spain was the fifth country to sell the tablet. She listed the United States, United Kingdom, Germany and United Arab Emirates as the first four.

How it is taken and common side effects

The reports say the tablet is taken once each day, often after waking. Users are told to fast for at least eight hours first and swallow it whole with some water. They should then leave a gap of at least half an hour before any food, drink or other pills.

The dose starts low and may rise every four weeks or more until it reaches 25mg. The tablets do not need to be kept cold.

Common side effects in the reports include feeling sick, vomiting, diarrhoea, constipation and stomach pain. These effects may be more common when the dose rises. The reports do not provide a full list of warnings or reasons why someone should not use the drug.

World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said GLP-1 drugs may help many people. He also said medicines alone will not solve obesity and called for a broader approach.

Sources: 20minutos, Expansión, El Mundo, La Vanguardia and elDiario.es.