Novo Nordisk A/S is testing small doses of its blockbuster Wegovy pill in a new study that will help establish how low patients can go in their dose and still lose weight.
The 450-person trial, begun Aug. 12, will test two unspecified low doses of the pill compared to a placebo, according to a description of the study posted on Tuesday in a US government database.
Most obesity studies have tried to get patients onto the highest drug dose possible in order to establish a baseline of what the medicines can do, but in the real world patients often stick with lower doses. Some may struggle with side effects or simply find that a low dose works well enough. Others microdose, with some telehealth companies in the US marketing the medicines to people who are not overweight.
Prescribed more than 5 million times since it was introduced in the US in January, Novo’s pill has quickly captured market share in the highly competitive obesity field. More than two-thirds of patients are on the two lowest doses, according to BMO Capital Markets analyst Evan Seigerman.
Novo didn’t immediately answer questions regarding the trial on Wednesday.
In the US, the lower two pill doses are also about half the price of the two higher doses for self-pay customers.
The Novo low-dose study seeks patients with a BMI of at least 27, which falls into the World Health Organization’s “overweight” category.
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Published on August 19, 2026
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