On Jun. 4, 2021, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced it had approved Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy (semaglutide) injection (2.4 mg once weekly) for chronic weight management in adults with obesity or overweight with at least one weight-related condition (such as high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, or high cholesterol), for use in addition to a reduced calorie diet and increased physical activity. The FDA granted the approval to Novo Nordisk. Semaglutide 1 mg injection (Ozempic) was first approved as a treatment for type 2 diabetes in 2017.

This under-the-skin injection is the first approved drug for chronic weight management in adults with general obesity or overweight since 2014. The drug is indicated for chronic weight management in patients with a body mass index (BMI) of 27 kg/m2 or greater who have at least one weight-related ailment or in patients with a BMI of 30 kg/m2 or greater.