• Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy pill (oral semaglutide) marks a major milestone as an oral formulation of semaglutide to receive regulatory approval for weight management, backed by over eight years of established clinical safety data.

  • Metabolic (formerly GluCare.Health) will be among the first healthcare providers in the UAE to offer access to Wegovy pill - receiving supply in advance of broader market availability - reflecting its position as a leading partner for advanced obesity medicine in the region.

  • Clinical trial data demonstrate meaningful weight loss and a well-characterised tolerability profile, supporting Wegovy pill as a credible option within Metabolic’s personalised, medically supervised obesity care pathways, while reinforcing Metabolic’s position as a selected early-access provider for the latest GLP-1 therapies following US launches. 

Dubai, United Arab Emirates - Metabolic (formerly GluCare.Health), the UAE’s leading tech-enabled metabolic health platform, today announced it will offer early access to Wegovy pill (oral semaglutide), Novo Nordisk’s first oral formulation of semaglutide indicated for chronic weight management. Through this collaboration, Metabolic is set to offer early access ahead of broader availability in the UAE market, underscoring the priority that global pharmaceutical innovators place on the UAE as a market for advanced therapies. Notably, the UAE will be the first market outside the United States to receive supplies, with no rollout currently planned for other countries in the coming months. 

A New Chapter for Oral Weight Management

The Wegovy pill represents a significant development in obesity medicine in the region: an oral formulation of semaglutide, a molecule with a well-established clinical track record since its first approval in 2017. The availability of semaglutide in pill form expands the treatment landscape for patients and clinicians alike, offering a non-injectable option that does not require refrigeration, needles, or complex preparation.

In clinical trials, the Wegovy pill demonstrated 17% average body weight reduction at 64 weeks among adults with overweight or obesity, with a tolerability profile consistent with the semaglutide class. The once-daily tablet is taken in the morning on an empty stomach, at least 30 minutes before eating or drinking, with no clinically meaningful effect on the absorption or disruptions to other medications.

Treatment begins with a 1.5 mg once-daily dose, increasing every 30 days as tolerated until the maximum 25 mg maintenance dose is reached. This gradual dose escalation is designed to help the body adjust to the medication and support tolerability. 

Semaglutide’s cardiovascular benefits have also been documented in clinical evidence, with trials demonstrating a reduction in major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) in adults with overweight or obesity - an important consideration given the significant overlap between metabolic disease and cardiovascular risk in the UAE population.

Early Access Reflects Metabolic’s Regional Leadership

Metabolic (formerly GluCare.Health) will receive its initial allocation of Wegovy pills one full week before broader UAE market availability. This early access reflects the strength of Metabolic’s relationship with leading pharmaceutical partners and its established role as a hub for evidence-based, technology-integrated metabolic care in the region.

Dr. Ihsan Almarzooqi, Co-Founder and Managing Director of Metabolic, commented: “The arrival of an oral semaglutide option is a meaningful development for patients who are appropriate candidates for this therapy. Semaglutide’s efficacy and safety profile has been studied extensively over more than eight years, and having it available in a pill format removes a genuine barrier for some individuals. Metabolic’s selection for early access reflects the strength of our research-led model, our commitment to continuously evolving clinical protocols as new evidence emerges, and our focus on delivering measurable outcomes in obesity care.”

Ali Hashemi, Co-Founder and CEO, adds: “As always, Metabolic’s role is to match the right intervention to the right patient within a structured, longitudinal care model. Our approach has always been to build a clinically rigorous system that adapts as new evidence and therapies emerge, ensuring treatments are used in the context of comprehensive, long-term care rather than in isolation. The Wegovy pill adds another dimension to the tools available to our clinicians, supporting more tailored and flexible treatment pathways for patients.” 

Where the Wegovy Pill Fits in Metabolic’s Care Pathway 

Metabolic (formerly GluCare.Health) treats obesity as a chronic, multifactorial metabolic disease requiring long-term, structured support rather than short-term intervention. The platform’s weight loss protocol is regularly updated to incorporate new evidence-based options, ensuring that patients have access to current standard-of-care treatments within a supervised clinical environment.

Access to the Wegovy pill will be offered through Metabolic’s medically supervised weight loss protocol, which offers a personalised approach for each patient including tools unavailable in traditional clinics or pharmacy GLP-1s, covered under insurance:

  • Monthly GLP-1 dose titration based on satiety, tolerance, muscle preservation, real-time metabolic data gathered through wearables.

  • A continuous engagement model applied across three pillars (nutrition, behavioural, and clinical care) designed to deliver more than 15 patient touchpoints per quarter, aligned with findings from our study published in Frontiers Media’s Frontiers in Endocrinology showing that this level of engagement supports optimal outcomes.

  • An intelligence layer to collect data continuously.

Prescribing decisions will be made on an individual basis by Metabolic’s multidisciplinary clinical team, in line with the approved indication and patient suitability criteria.

The Wegovy pill will be considered as part of individualised treatment planning, with its place in the care continuum determined by clinical assessment, patient preference, and therapeutic goals. Metabolic’s outcome data from its 2025 Outcomes Report shows that 52.2% of patients lost more than 10% of body weight after 12 months under its structured protocol - results that reflect the impact of integrating GLP-1s within a comprehensive care model rather than relying on medication alone.

Patients interested in the Wegovy pill are encouraged to register interest on Metabolic’s waitlist: https://metabolic.health/wegovy-pill-waitlist/ 

About Metabolic (formerly GluCare.Health)

Metabolic is a tech-enabled, hybrid metabolic health platform designed to quantify risk, coordinate care, and deliver measurable outcomes across the spectrum of metabolic and hormonal health. Its model combines clinician-led multidisciplinary care with continuous monitoring, advanced diagnostics, and AI-enabled risk stratification embedded into a longitudinal care operating system.

Metabolic is accredited by the International Consortium of Health Outcome Measures (ICHOM), the College of American Pathologists (CAP), and Joint Commission International (JCI).

Website: metabolic.health

Media Contact
Nuha Naseer
Marketing Executive, metabolic.health
Email: nuha@metabolic.health
Contact: 800 4582273