Novo Nordisk said its semaglutide pill will go on sale in the United States on Monday, May 4, 2026, giving adults with type 2 diabetes a tablet form of a drug many people already know as the injectable Ozempic. The company said the pill will be available through more than 70,000 U.S. pharmacies nationwide and select telehealth providers.
The move gives the drugmaker a wider retail footprint for a medicine that has been sold orally before, but under the Rybelsus name. Semaglutide is a glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonist that mimics a hormone to increase insulin secretion, slow gastric emptying and reduce appetite, and it already has Food and Drug Administration approval for long-term weight management and type 2 diabetes treatment. Novo Nordisk said the new oral version comes in 1.5 mg, 4 mg and 9 mg strengths, replacing the older Rybelsus tablets that were sold in 3 milligram, 7 mg and 14 mg doses.
The company said the updated formulation is more bioavailable and works similarly to the Rybelsus tablets. It also said the Ozempic pill has the same efficacy and safety profile as the original formulation but comes in a smaller pill, with people who were taking 3 mg directed to move to 1.5 mg. That matters because semaglutide has become one of the most closely watched diabetes drugs in the market, and a tablet version could be easier to distribute through regular pharmacies and telehealth channels than weekly injections.
For Novo Nordisk, the branding change is as important as the formulation change. Mir Ali, a surgeon and medical director, said the oral form of semaglutide has been available for years as Rybelsus, but the Ozempic name is more widely recognized and could prompt more patient requests. He also said oral GLP-1 medicines are easier to take, transport and store, although they are typically less convenient in other ways than injections. The company said the pill has been designed to help improve blood glucose control alongside diet and exercise and to reduce major cardiovascular events in adults with type 2 diabetes at increased risk.
There is still a clear tradeoff. Research suggests injectable semaglutide achieves larger HbA1c reductions than oral forms in people with type 2 diabetes, and oral semaglutide has been associated with more adverse events than weekly injections. Mir Ali said the oral version’s longer shelf life may create logistical advantages for some prescribing patterns, but he also noted that the better-known Ozempic brand could lead to increased demand. That tension between convenience, recognition and clinical performance may shape how quickly the new pill catches on once it reaches pharmacies next week. For more on semaglutide’s broader effects, see the United States Department Of Veterans Affairs study that found semaglutide cut weight 10%, and this report on how weight loss is not required for new semaglutide liver benefits.