WeightWatchers intends to offer Novo Nordisk’s pill version of Wegovy if it makes its US debut next year following potential FDA approval, Reuters reported.¹

Amid a field of telehealth companies selling versions of weight management drugs in microdoses, WeightWatchers aims to stand out among the pack in a market that continues to increase in competitiveness.

"We have been working with Novo Nordisk ahead of time to support the launch of oral weight-loss medication," Tara Comonte, the company’s CEO, commented to Reuters. "A lot of people don't want an injection. And the convenience of a pill is going to be huge,‍" she said.

FDA expands priority review for weight-loss therapies

This comes during a time when when Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk have been garnering momentum—last week, the FDA added Orforglipron and Wegovy to the Commissioner’s National Priority Voucher (CNPV) program, growing the initiative to a total of 15 products that tackle public health and national security priorities.²

Per this pilot CNPV program, qualifying sponsors can obtain a voucher that allows the FDA to complete its review in as little as one to two months, compared to the standard 10–12-month review window that normally follows the final submission process.

“National priority vouchers are granted to a select group of products where the company has agreed to increase affordability, domesticate manufacturing as a national security issue, or address an unmet public health need,” FDA Commissioner Marty Makary, MD, MPH, said in a press release.² “We are pioneering new ways of bringing these cures and meaningful treatments to the market faster.”

He had previously stated back in June² that, “Using a common-sense approach, the national priority review program will allow companies to submit the lion’s share of the drug application before a clinical trial is complete so that we can reduce inefficiencies,” Makary said in a June press release. “The ultimate goal is to bring more cures and meaningful treatments to the American public. As a surgical oncologist, we often made multidisciplinary decisions with a team of doctors on major life-and-death questions for patients, incorporating the latest medical studies in a one-day tumor board-style discussion. This voucher harnesses that model to deliver timely decisions for drug developers.”

Government program expands access and affordability

It’s important to point out that GLP-1s will become a part of TrumpRx (the administration’s direct purchasing platform), as Lilly’s and Novo’s anti-obesity meds will be available for patients with Medicaid or Medicare. This reportedly includes current meds, along with aforementioned oral versions, further expanding affordability for patients.³

Medicare patients will pay a $50 copay for the injectable GLP-1s. Meanwhile, Eli Lilly’s and Novo’s oral GLP-1 medications will reportedly be available on the government-run DTC platform for $145 per month, the same price through Medicare and Medicaid.

In response to the announcement, CNBC had reported³ that Health and Humans Services Secretary Kennedy said, “This is the biggest drug in our country, and that’s why this is the most important of all the [most favored nation] announcements we’ve made. This is going to have the biggest impact on the American people. All Americans, even those who are not on Medicaid, Medicare, are going to be able to get the same price for their drugs, for their GLP-1s.”

WeightWatchers eyes competitive advantage

These lower prices, argues WeightWatchers, gives it the opportunity to retain customers, as opposed to other telehealth competitors, given that HCPs anticipate that patients will switch back to the branded drugs following the voucher announcement.

References

1. Satija B. WeightWatchers to offer Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy Pill After 2026 Launch. Reuters. November 13, 2025. Accessed November 13, 2025. https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/weightwatchers-sell-novo-nordisks-wegovy-pill-after-2026-launch-2025-11-12/#xd_co_f=ZDlkZmUzYzktZWYwMS00ODJlLTliMWItNzVhOTAzYTlhN2Y5~

2. James D. FDA Continues to Expand National Priority Voucher Program. Pharmaceutical Executive. November 7, 2025. Accessed November 13, 2025. https://www.pharmexec.com/view/fda-expand-national-priority-voucher-program

3. Hollan M. Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk Bring Weight-Loss Medications to TrumpRx. Pharmaceutical Executive. November 6, 2025. Accessed November 13, 2025. https://www.pharmexec.com/view/eli-lilly-novo-nordisk-bring-weight-loss-medications-trumprx