Table of contents
Semaglutide for treating obesity, sold as Wegovy, is licensed in the European Union in two forms: as a once-weekly injection and, since July 2026, also as a once-daily tablet (1, 2). Both forms contain the same active substance, but only about 1-2% of the semaglutide in a tablet is absorbed into the blood. This is why the tablet contains 25 mg of the medicine and the injection 2.4 mg. For the same reason, the tablet has to be taken according to strict rules: on an empty stomach, with a small amount of water and at least half an hour before eating, drinking or taking other medicines (1).
As of October 2026, the tablets are not yet available in Polish pharmacies, and the manufacturer has not said when they will go on sale in Poland (3, 4). For now, semaglutide for obesity is available in Poland only as injections. When choosing between the two forms, what matters is your daily routine, the other medicines you take and any coexisting conditions, such as type 2 diabetes. The doctor chooses the medicine and its form.
In brief
- The European Commission authorised semaglutide tablets for treating obesity on 14 July 2026. As of October 2026, semaglutide for obesity is available in Polish pharmacies only as injections.
- The tablet is taken once a day on an empty stomach. Treatment starts at 1.5 mg, and the patient takes the 25 mg maintenance dose from week 13 at the earliest. The injection is given once a week at any time of day, starting at 0.25 mg, with the 2.4 mg maintenance dose from week 17 at the earliest.
- In the OASIS 4 trial, people taking the tablets weighed on average 13.6% less after 64 weeks, and people on placebo 2.2% less. In the STEP 1 trial, the figures after 68 weeks were 14.9% on the injections and 2.4% on placebo. No single trial has compared the two forms directly. Side effects were similar, but indigestion was more common with the tablets.
- You can switch from the 2.4 mg injection to the 25 mg tablet a week after the last injection, and from the tablet to the injection the day after the last tablet. The effect of such a switch cannot be predicted in advance, which is why the doctor decides on it.
Are semaglutide tablets for obesity available in Poland yet?
Not yet. Semaglutide tablets for treating obesity are licensed throughout the European Union, but as of October 2026 they are not in Polish pharmacies, and it is not known when they will appear (3, 4).
The expert committee of the European Medicines Agency (CHMP) recommended the tablets on 21 May 2026, and the European Commission authorised them for marketing on 14 July 2026 (2, 5). This is why news reports give two dates: the May opinion was only a recommendation, and it was the Commission's July decision that allowed the medicine to be sold in EU countries. In July, the tablets were already on sale in the United States, the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates, and the manufacturer announced that it would start selling them in further countries in the second half of 2026 (3). Like the injections, the tablets are available only on prescription (1).
How are Wegovy tablets different from Rybelsus and Ozempic?
Three medicines from the same manufacturer contain semaglutide. Rybelsus is semaglutide in tablet form, and Ozempic is semaglutide given by injection. Both are licensed only for treating type 2 diabetes (6, 7). Wegovy (injection and tablet) is the only semaglutide medicine authorised for treating obesity (1).
Rybelsus and Wegovy tablets look similar and some strengths overlap, such as 25 mg, but the treatment schedules differ. Rybelsus treatment starts at 1.5 mg a day, and after a month the patient moves on to the 4 mg maintenance dose. In the older formulation, these doses were 3 mg and 7 mg. If needed, the dose is increased gradually, up to a maximum of 50 mg a day. With Wegovy tablets, 4 mg is the second step of dose escalation, and the maintenance dose, which is also the highest, is 25 mg (1, 6). According to the guidelines of the Polish Society for the Treatment of Obesity (PTLO), medicines that are not licensed for treating obesity should not be used to treat it (8). Rybelsus and Ozempic are medicines for type 2 diabetes, not for obesity.
How do you take semaglutide tablets, and how are the injections given?
The tablet is taken every day on an empty stomach, and afterwards you have to wait before eating, drinking or taking other medicines. The injection is given once a week at any time of day, regardless of meals (1).
| Semaglutide tablet | Semaglutide injection | |
|---|---|---|
| How often | one tablet once a day | one dose once a week; usually a single injection, but the 7.2 mg dose is given as one or three injections, depending on the pen |
| How to take it | on an empty stomach, after at least 8 hours without food; swallow the tablet whole with a small amount of water (no more than 120 ml, about half a glass); for at least 30 minutes afterwards, do not eat, drink or take other oral medicines | under the skin of the abdomen, thigh or upper arm, at any time of day, with or without food |
| Dose for the first 4 weeks | 1.5 mg | 0.25 mg |
| Further dose steps (at least 4 weeks apart) | 4 mg, 9 mg | 0.5 mg, 1 mg, 1.7 mg |
| Maintenance dose | 25 mg, from week 13 at the earliest | 2.4 mg, from week 17 at the earliest; in adults who had a BMI of at least 30 at the start of treatment, the dose can be increased to 7.2 mg after at least 4 weeks on 2.4 mg |
| Missed dose | do not make it up; take the next tablet the following day | take it as soon as possible if no more than 5 days have passed since the scheduled day; if more time has passed, skip it |
| Storage | in the original package, away from light and moisture, with no temperature requirements | in the fridge (2-8°C); a single-dose pen can be kept out of the fridge at up to 30°C for no more than 28 days, and a FlexTouch pen, after first use, below 30°C or in the fridge for no more than 6 weeks |
| Who it is licensed for | adults | adults and adolescents aged 12 and over with obesity and a body weight above 60 kg |
The tablet must not be split, crushed or chewed, because it is not known whether this changes how the medicine is absorbed (1). Semaglutide in any form slows down stomach emptying, so it may affect the absorption of other oral medicines (1). Our article on combining semaglutide tablets with other oral medicines explains why the gap after the tablet must last at least 30 minutes and how to plan other morning medicines, such as levothyroxine. Our article on the first months of treatment with semaglutide or tirzepatide explains how the injection dose is increased over the first months.
Why does the tablet contain more semaglutide than the injection?
About 1-2% of the semaglutide in a tablet reaches the blood, and it is absorbed mainly in the stomach. Each person absorbs a different proportion of the dose, and in the same person absorption can vary from day to day. However, semaglutide stays in the body for a long time (its half-life is about a week), and with a tablet taken every day this limits fluctuations in the level of the medicine in the blood. The level stabilises after 4-5 weeks on the same dose (1). A tablet dose cannot simply be converted into an injection dose. A schedule for switching from tablets to injections and back is given only for the maintenance doses, that is 25 mg as a tablet and 2.4 mg as an injection (1).
How should you store semaglutide tablets and pens when travelling?
The tablets do not need to be kept in the fridge. However, they must be kept in the original package, which protects them from light and moisture. Pens are stored in the fridge. A single-dose pen can be kept out of the fridge at up to 30°C for no more than 28 days. After first use, a FlexTouch pen can be kept below 30°C or in the fridge for no more than 6 weeks (1). For a short trip between two injections, you do not need to take the pen with you. The tablet, on the other hand, is taken every day, including when you are travelling.
Does a semaglutide tablet work as well as the injection?
Both forms reduced body weight to a similar extent, but this is known from two separate trials, not from a single trial that compared them directly (9, 10). Because absorption of semaglutide from the tablet varies, in some people its level in the blood differs from the level reached with injections (1, 11).
| Trial | Form and dose | Participants | Length of treatment | Average weight loss on the medicine | Average weight loss on placebo |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OASIS 4 (9) | 25 mg tablet once a day | 307 adults without diabetes | 64 weeks | 13.6% | 2.2% |
| STEP 1 (10) | 2.4 mg injection once a week | 1,961 adults without diabetes | 68 weeks | 14.9% | 2.4% |
Both trials included adults with a BMI of at least 30, or of at least 27 with a weight-related condition. All participants ate fewer calories and increased their physical activity. The OASIS 4 trial was conducted in Poland, among other countries. In this trial, 76.3% of people taking the tablets and 30.5% of people on placebo lost at least 5% of their body weight (1, 12).
The trials differed in length and in their participants, so the figures alone do not show which form is more effective. Authors linked to the manufacturer compared the results of the two trials indirectly, using statistical methods. The difference in average weight loss between the tablet and the injection was 0.6 to 1 percentage point, depending on the method of analysis, and was not statistically significant. The authors concluded that the two forms work comparably (12). Only a trial in which participants are randomly assigned to tablets or injections could show whether this is really the case.
According to modelling, in 82.2% of OASIS 4 participants taking the 25 mg tablet, the level of semaglutide in the blood was within the same range as in people taking 2.4 mg injections in the STEP 1 trial. In the rest, it fell outside this range (11).
Why are two different weight loss figures given for semaglutide tablets?
The figure of 13.6% and the figure of about 17% come from the same OASIS 4 trial, but from two different analyses. The 13.6% figure (the European Medicines Agency gives 13.61%) was calculated for all participants, including those who stopped taking the medicine or started another obesity treatment. In the tablet group, 18% of participants stopped taking the medicine, and in the placebo group 25.5%. If everyone had taken their assigned medicine until the end of the trial and had not used any other obesity treatment, body weight would have fallen, according to estimates, by an average of 16.6% on the tablets and 2.8% on placebo (1, 5). In its press releases, the manufacturer gives the results of this second analysis rounded: about 17% and 3% (3).
What is known about the effect of semaglutide tablets and injections on heart attack and stroke risk?
The SELECT trial assessed 2.4 mg semaglutide injections. Its participants were aged 45 or over, did not have diabetes, and had diagnosed cardiovascular disease and a BMI of at least 27. In people taking the injections, the combined risk of cardiovascular death, heart attack or stroke was 20% lower than in people on placebo. This result applies to all three events counted together, not to each one separately (1, 13). No similar trial has been carried out for Wegovy 25 mg tablets (1).
How do semaglutide tablets work in people with type 2 diabetes?
People with type 2 diabetes should expect lower blood levels of the medicine and less weight loss than people without diabetes. If the tablets do not work well enough for someone with diabetes, the summary of product characteristics (SmPC) recommends considering the injections (1). No separate trial of the 25 mg dose has been carried out in people with obesity and type 2 diabetes, and the conclusions for this group were drawn from modelling (11). Little is also known about how the 25 mg tablets work in people with diabetes who take insulin or have a glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) result below 8%. HbA1c shows what the average blood sugar level has been over the past few months (1).
What are the side effects of semaglutide tablets and injections?
The tablets and the injections cause similar side effects. Most often they affect the digestive system, and they appear mainly while the dose is being increased. Indigestion was more common in the tablet trial than in the injection trials (1).
| Symptom in the OASIS 4 trial (64 weeks) | 25 mg tablet | Placebo |
|---|---|---|
| Nausea | 46.6% | 18.6% |
| Vomiting | 30.9% | 5.9% |
| Constipation | 20.1% | 9.8% |
| Indigestion | 18.1% | 8.8% |
| Diarrhoea | 17.6% | 8.8% |
| Abdominal pain | 16.7% | 7.8% |
The symptoms were usually mild or moderate and went away; only constipation lasted longer. Gastrointestinal symptoms led 3.4% of people taking the tablets to stop treatment (1). When the OASIS 4 and STEP 1 trials were compared, gastrointestinal symptoms were reported by 74.0% of people taking the tablets and 74.2% of people taking the injections, and by 42.2% and 47.9% of participants in the placebo groups. Side effects led 6.9% of people on the tablets and 7.0% on the injections to stop treatment, compared with 5.9% and 3.1% in the placebo groups (12).
Other side effects were also reported in the OASIS 4 trial. Hair loss was reported by 6.4% of people taking the tablets and 2.0% of people on placebo. It was more common in people who lost at least 20% of their body weight, and in half of the cases it went away before the end of the trial. Changes in skin sensation, such as increased sensitivity, tingling or burning, were reported by 4.9% of people taking the tablets and by no one in the placebo group. In most of them, the symptoms went away even though they kept taking the medicine (1). Our article on side effects of obesity medication describes ways to ease nausea, constipation and diarrhoea.
Which symptoms during semaglutide treatment need urgent medical help?
The same rules apply to tablets and injections. Severe, persistent abdominal pain, which may also spread to the back, can be a symptom of acute pancreatitis; if it happens, contact a doctor immediately. Do the same if your vision gets worse, suddenly or gradually, especially in one eye. Difficulty breathing, sudden swelling of the face, throat, arms or legs, dizziness, a fast heartbeat and loss of consciousness may mean a severe allergic reaction and require immediate medical help. If you have nausea, vomiting or diarrhoea, drink plenty of fluids, because dehydration can impair kidney function. This is particularly important if you have kidney disease (1).
How do you switch from semaglutide injections to tablets and back?
The Wegovy SmPC describes switching only between the maintenance doses: from the 2.4 mg once-weekly injection to the 25 mg once-daily tablet, and the other way round (1).
Someone switching from the injection to the tablet starts straight away on the 25 mg tablet, a week after the last injection, that is on the day the next injection would have been due. If you switch the other way, you give the first 2.4 mg injection the day after your last tablet (1). After the switch, the previous form is stopped: tablets are not taken together with injections.
Absorption of semaglutide from the tablet varies from person to person, so the effect of the switch cannot be predicted in advance (1). At the first follow-up appointment after the switch, it helps to discuss with the doctor how your weight is changing and how you are tolerating the medicine. The SmPC does not describe switching while the dose is still being increased, or switching from the 7.2 mg dose. In such cases, the doctor decides how to make the switch. Semaglutide is not combined with other obesity medicines, because this combination has not been studied and is not recommended (1).
How does a doctor decide between semaglutide tablets and injections?
Which form is better depends on the individual. The doctor takes into account whether the patient will be able to take a tablet on an empty stomach every day, what other medicines they take, whether they have type 2 diabetes and whether they have heart or blood vessel disease (1).
- The tablet lets you avoid injections, but it has to be taken every day according to the same rules: on an empty stomach, after at least 8 hours without food, and then 30 minutes without eating, drinking or taking other medicines.
- If you also take other medicines in the morning on an empty stomach, you need to plan their timing with the doctor so that they do not clash with the semaglutide tablet.
- People with type 2 diabetes should expect lower levels of the medicine and less weight loss with the tablets than people without diabetes, and if the effect is insufficient, the doctor considers the injections.
- If you have heart or blood vessel disease, bear in mind that in the SELECT trial 2.4 mg injections reduced the combined risk of cardiovascular death, heart attack or stroke, while no such trial has been carried out for Wegovy 25 mg tablets.
- The 7.2 mg dose is licensed only as an injection. The doctor may introduce it in adults who had a BMI of at least 30 at the start of treatment, after at least 4 weeks on 2.4 mg.
- The tablets can be used only by adults, whereas the injections can also be used by adolescents aged 12 and over with obesity and a body weight above 60 kg.
Some rules are the same for both forms. Semaglutide is not used during pregnancy or breastfeeding, and a woman planning a pregnancy stops it at least 2 months beforehand. The medicine is not recommended in severe kidney or liver impairment. In people with gastroparesis, a condition in which the stomach empties too slowly, it is used with caution, and in severe gastroparesis it is not recommended (1). Our article on eligibility for obesity medication describes the criteria a doctor uses to decide whether a patient is eligible for treatment.
How does the doctor choose a medicine in the Nasz Gabinet obesity treatment programme?
In the obesity treatment programme at Nasz Gabinet, the doctor checks whether an adult patient meets the PTLO criteria for treatment with medication and chooses a medicine from those available in Poland. Semaglutide tablets are not yet available in Polish pharmacies, so for now the doctor prescribes injectable medicines. After each medical review, the doctor issues an e-prescription and checks the progress of treatment every month based on the data the patient records in the app. The patient buys the medicine at a pharmacy and pays for it separately, outside the programme. The programme lasts 6 months and includes video consultations with a doctor and a psychologist.
Frequently asked questions
Is Ozempic available as a tablet?
No. Ozempic is semaglutide given by injection and is licensed for treating type 2 diabetes (7). Rybelsus is the semaglutide tablet for type 2 diabetes (6), and Wegovy is the semaglutide tablet for treating obesity (1). Neither Ozempic nor Rybelsus is licensed for treating obesity.
Can you switch from Rybelsus to Wegovy?
The SmPCs of the two medicines do not describe such a switch: for Wegovy, only switching between the 25 mg tablet and the 2.4 mg injection is described, and for Rybelsus, switching to its tablets from once-weekly semaglutide injections (1, 6). This is why the doctor decides on the dose and when to start Wegovy after Rybelsus. The two medicines are not taken at the same time.
Can you take two lower-dose semaglutide tablets instead of one higher-dose tablet?
No. Semaglutide tablets are always taken as one tablet a day, and tablets are not combined to make up a higher dose. A missed tablet is not taken later: you take the next one the following day. If you have taken a higher dose than your doctor recommended, you need to contact them straight away (1).
How long does semaglutide from tablets stay in the body?
Semaglutide stays in the blood for about 7 weeks after the last tablet, because its half-life is roughly a week (1). This is why a woman planning a pregnancy stops semaglutide, including the tablets, at least 2 months beforehand.
Sources
- European Medicines Agency. Wegovy (semaglutyd) - charakterystyka produktu leczniczego i ulotka dla pacjenta: roztwór do wstrzykiwań oraz tabletki 1,5 mg, 4 mg, 9 mg i 25 mg (summary of product characteristics and patient leaflet: solution for injection and tablets). ema.europa.eu
- European Medicines Agency. Wegovy - procedural steps taken and scientific information after authorisation, procedure EMA/X/0000296344 (tablets): CHMP opinion 21.05.2026, European Commission decision 14.07.2026. ema.europa.eu
- Novo Nordisk Polska. Komisja Europejska zatwierdziła Wegovy w postaci tabletki jako pierwszy doustny preparat GLP-1 w leczeniu choroby otyłościowej (The European Commission has approved Wegovy in tablet form as the first oral GLP-1 medicine for treating obesity). Press release, 17.07.2026. novonordisk.pl
- Najda D. Tabletka zamiast zastrzyku. Kto skorzysta z tej formy leku Wegovy? (A tablet instead of an injection: who will benefit from this form of Wegovy?) abcZdrowie, 19.10.2026. abczdrowie.pl
- European Medicines Agency. First oral GLP-1 treatment for weight management. Press release, 22.05.2026. ema.europa.eu
- European Medicines Agency. Rybelsus (semaglutyd) - charakterystyka produktu leczniczego (summary of product characteristics). ema.europa.eu
- European Medicines Agency. Ozempic (semaglutyd) - charakterystyka produktu leczniczego (summary of product characteristics). ema.europa.eu
- Bąk-Sosnowska M, Białkowska M, Bogdański P et al. Zalecenia kliniczne dotyczące postępowania u chorych na otyłość 2024 - stanowisko Polskiego Towarzystwa Leczenia Otyłości (Clinical guidelines for the management of patients with obesity - position statement of the Polish Society for the Treatment of Obesity). Medycyna Praktyczna, special edition, September 2024. ptlo.org.pl
- Wharton S, Lingvay I, Bogdanski P et al. Oral Semaglutide at a Dose of 25 mg in Adults with Overweight or Obesity. N Engl J Med. 2025;393(11):1077-1087. PMID 40934115, DOI
- Wilding JPH, Batterham RL, Calanna S et al. Once-Weekly Semaglutide in Adults with Overweight or Obesity. N Engl J Med. 2021;384(11):989-1002. PMID 33567185, DOI
- Overgaard RV, Birkhan O, Rathor N et al. Efficacy, Safety and PK of Once-Daily Oral Semaglutide 25 mg for Obesity With and Without Type 2 Diabetes in Comparison With Subcutaneous Semaglutide 2.4 mg: A Model-Informed Drug Development Approach. Diabetes Obes Metab. 2026;28(7):5982-5991. PMID 42023428, DOI
- Plotkin M, Ivkovic M, Smith I et al. Semaglutide 25 mg Oral Versus Semaglutide 2.4 mg Injectable: An Indirect Treatment Comparison of Weight Loss Outcomes. Diabetes Obes Metab. 2026;28(8):7237-7246. PMID 42225300, DOI
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Wondering whether obesity medication is right for you?
In the 6-month online programme for adults, the doctor assesses whether you are eligible for treatment according to the criteria of the Polish Society for the Treatment of Obesity, chooses a medicine from those available in Poland and issues an e-prescription after each medical review; you buy the medicine separately at a pharmacy. You have video consultations with a doctor and a psychologist, and the doctor checks your treatment every month based on data from the app.
