Real-world study reports weight loss after switch from injectable GLP-1 therapies to Wegovy pill

Adults with overweight or obesity had lost an average of 4.1% of their body weight three months after switching from injectable GLP-1-based therapies to oral semaglutide, according to real-world data presented by Novo at EASD 2026.

The Baseline

• Real-world findings from OCTANE examined outcomes among 194 adults who switched from injectable GLP-1-based therapies to oral semaglutide for weight management.
• Participants lost an average of 4.1% of their body weight after three months, with 40.7% achieving at least 5% weight loss.
• Patient-reported outcomes included changes in clothing fit and eating habits, although the retrospective observational analysis cannot establish causality.

Novo has presented new real-world findings reporting outcomes among people who switched from injectable GLP-1-based medicines for weight management to once-daily oral semaglutide, marketed as the Wegovy pill. Based on de-identified data from the Ro telehealth platform, the analysis provides early information on weight and patient-reported outcomes (PROs) following a switch from injectable semaglutide or tirzepatide to the oral treatment. The study was presented at the 62nd Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes in Milan, Italy, on September 30, 2026.

The findings come from OCTANE, a retrospective cohort analysis of 194 adults with obesity or overweight and at least one obesity-related complication. Three months after starting oral semaglutide, participants had lost an average of 4.1% of their body weight, with 40.7% achieving weight loss of at least 5%. Changes were also reported beyond body weight. Among participants with PRO data, 82.4% reported at least one change categorized in the analysis as a treatment improvement. These included better-fitting clothes, reported by approximately 69%, and healthier eating, reported by around 51%.

Louis J Aronne, Director of the Comprehensive Weight Control Center at Weill Cornell Medicine and a co-author of the study, commented on why some patients may consider switching formulations:

"In everyday clinical practice, we see patients who respond well to injectable GLP-1-based therapy but who, for personal or practical reasons, want to try an oral option. What the OCTANE data showed is that a switch to oral semaglutide may be a viable path for the right patient, with real weight loss and lifestyle improvements in the first three months… These are exciting early insights on how the pill can individualize obesity care, and we look forward to seeing longer-term outcomes."

The study included adults with obesity or overweight, with overweight defined as a BMI of 27–29.9 kg/m² alongside at least one obesity-related complication, such as hypertension, dyslipidemia, obstructive sleep apnea, or cardiovascular disease. Participants had no history of diabetes or bariatric surgery and switched to oral semaglutide between January 5 and February 7, 2026.

There was no minimum requirement for how long participants had previously received injectable therapy or whether they had lost weight while receiving it. The mean time between the last injectable prescription and starting oral semaglutide was 36.8 days. Inclusion in the analysis required participants to remain on oral semaglutide for three months without a treatment gap exceeding 30 days and to have self-reported weight measurements available at baseline and follow-up.

OCTANE is the first analysis from a collaboration between Novo and Ro examining real-world outcomes among people using weight-management medicines. Additional research is expected to be presented in the coming months, including analyses of the characteristics of people seeking treatment with oral semaglutide and real-world outcomes relating to weight, food noise and quality of life.