As the exuberance for Wegovy tablets has bubbled up this year, we confess to wondering: Are people losing perspective? Apparently the same question occurred to FDA when they saw the television advertising for the product. The agency sent a warning to the company last week, saying:
“FDA has determined that the TV ad is false or misleading.
“FDA is not aware of data to support the implication that Wegovy, in pill form, is superior to other currently approved GLP-1 treatments for weight loss in terms of efficacy and/or safety. Therefore, claims and presentations suggesting such are misleading. If you have data to support these claims and presentations, please submit them to the FDA for review.”
Skepticism from Specialists
This lines up with skepticism we’ve been hearing from obesity medicine specialists. “I haven’t prescribed it once. I see no reason.” said one of the top physicians in the field to us recently.
Wegovy tablets have to be taken in a very particular way in order for them to work. You have to take them first thing in the morning, on an empty stomach, with no more than half a cup of water. If not, the results are not so good. Endocrinologist Scott Isaacs told MarketWatch:
“It’s not an easy pill to take. It’s this regime that can be onerous, and then when people learn about that, they say, ‘Well, maybe taking a shot once a week is easier.’”
But Novo Is All In
Novo has not been deterred by any of that. High initial prescription volume for Wegovy tablets was the only bright spot for the company last week when it reported business results for the fourth quarter of 2025. In briefing investors, CEO Mike Doustdar said:
“This is not just a pill. It’s a peptide. It’s a large protein inside the pill that gives you that incredible efficacy.”
Incredible might have been an an apt, but unfortunate word choice. Because the credibility of such claims is raising questions at FDA.
Click here for the FDA warning letter, here, here, and here for further perspective.
Self-Portrait with Champagne Glass, painting by Max Beckmann / WikiArt
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February 11, 2026 at 9:58 am, Angela K Golden said:
I have to say the advertisement made me not feel great. Really comparing obesity to having longer arms to rescue cats. Can they get any more stigmatizing on a chronic disease. I was very disappointed in Novo.