GLP1 Europe › Molecules › Semaglutide
Is semaglutide approved in Europe?
Short answer
Yes. Semaglutide is authorised in both the European Union and the United Kingdom. It has been for years. What matters is which semaglutide, because the same molecule is sold under four different names for four different purposes, and only some of them are for weight.
2026 was the year the tablet arrived. The European Commission approved an oral form for weight management on 15 July 2026, and the UK regulator had already done so on 11 June 2026. That is the first GLP-1 you swallow rather than inject.
| Brand | What it is authorised for | European Union | United Kingdom |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ozempicweekly injection | Type 2 diabetes in adults | Authorised 8 Feb 2018 | Authorised |
| Rybelsusdaily tablet | Type 2 diabetes in adults | Authorised 3 Apr 2020 | Authorised |
| Wegovyweekly injection | Weight management, adults and adolescents from 12 | Authorised 6 Jan 2022 | Authorised |
| Wegovy pilldaily 25 mg tablet | Weight management in adults | Authorised 15 Jul 2026 | Authorised 11 Jun 2026 |
| Kayshildweekly injection | Non-cirrhotic MASH with moderate to advanced liver fibrosis | Conditional, 26 Mar 2026 | Not verified |
Authorised does not mean funded. Whether a health system pays for it is a separate decision made country by country, and for weight management most of Europe still says no. See below.
What changed in 2026
This is the part that goes stale fastest, so every entry is dated.
-
Safety guidance updated on a rare eye condition
The UK regulator updated its advice on NAION, a rare optic nerve condition. Its own figures: three UK reports suggestive of NAION since 2018, against roughly 10.2 million packs dispensed to August 2025.
5 February 2026
-
First liver indication in the EU
Kayshild, a semaglutide injection, received conditional EU authorisation for non-cirrhotic MASH with moderate to advanced fibrosis. Conditional means the company still owes the regulator further data.
26 March 2026
-
Single-dose 7.2 mg pen approved in the UK
The maximum weekly dose in one injection, rather than three separate ones.
14 April 2026
-
EU committee backs the weight-loss tablet
The CHMP recommended approval of oral semaglutide 25 mg for weight management, the first GLP-1 developed for oral use in this indication.
22 May 2026
-
UK approves the tablet first
The MHRA authorised the 25 mg daily tablet for adults with obesity, or overweight plus a weight-related condition. The UK beat the EU to it by five weeks.
11 June 2026
-
France starts paying
Wegovy became reimbursable for obesity at 65 percent, under strict criteria. The first EU country to fund a weight-loss GLP-1 as standard, permanent coverage.
15 June 2026
-
EU approves the tablet and the 7.2 mg pen
The European Commission cleared both on the same day. Novo Nordisk cited roughly 17 percent average weight loss for the tablet, and roughly 21 percent for the higher-dose pen.
15 July 2026
-
Dutch court blocks a compounded version
The District Court of The Hague granted an injunction against a pharmacy selling a compounded semaglutide nasal spray, rejecting the pharmacy-compounding defence because the operation was found to be structural and large-scale.
5 August 2026
What is still ahead
Semaglutide is a mature product, so the open questions are about access and competition rather than approval.
| Open question | Where it stands |
|---|---|
| Generic semaglutide in Europe | Not soon. The core compound patent lapsed in March 2026, but supplementary protection certificates extend exclusivity in most EU markets to 2031. The Dutch certificate runs to 19 March 2031. Generics have launched in India, where the local patent expired 20 March 2026, but that has no bearing on Europe. |
| Wider EU rollout of the tablet | Novo Nordisk said it intends to launch the pill in more countries in the second half of 2026. Which member states, and in what order, has not been published. |
| Reimbursement outside France | Germany excludes weight-loss drugs by statute. Belgium said no in June 2026. The Netherlands has an assessment running. Nothing is decided in most of the rest. |
| CagriSema | The cagrilintide plus semaglutide combination reported Phase 3 diabetes results on 2 February 2026. Novo Nordisk said it would approach regulators about the pathway. No EU filing date has been announced. |
Can you get it paid for?
For type 2 diabetes, generally yes across Europe. For weight, mostly no. This is the single biggest source of confusion, because a drug can be fully authorised and still cost you several hundred euros a month out of pocket.
| Country | Funded for weight? | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| France | Yes, from 15 Jun 2026 | 65 percent reimbursed. Restricted to BMI 35 or above after six months of supervised nutritional management producing less than 5 percent loss. The price was cut to €146.91 a month for the first three doses. |
| United Kingdom | Restricted | NHS funding via specialist weight-management services only, capped at two years, stopped if weight loss is under 5 percent at six months. Separately, injectable Wegovy was recommended in May 2026 for cardiovascular secondary prevention at BMI 27 or above, which does not require diabetes. |
| Germany | No | Weight-loss medicines are excluded from statutory insurance by law, as lifestyle drugs. The diabetes indication is reimbursed normally. |
| Belgium | No | The health minister declined reimbursement on 4 June 2026, citing cost and the return of weight after stopping. |
| Netherlands | Under review | Not in the basic package. The national institute is running a stepped assessment starting with the highest-need groups, having estimated that covering the full label would be unaffordable. |
Your country is probably not in that table, because we have only verified these in detail. The reimbursement checker covers ten countries against your own numbers.
Sources
- European Medicines Agency, EPAR pages for Ozempic, Rybelsus, Wegovy and Kayshild, checked 16 August 2026.
- EMA, CHMP meeting highlights 18 to 21 May 2026, positive opinion on oral semaglutide for weight management.
- Novo Nordisk, company announcement on European Commission approval of the Wegovy pill and the 7.2 mg pen, 15 July 2026.
- MHRA, "First GLP-1 tablet for weight loss approved in the UK", 11 June 2026, and "Single-dose 7.2mg semaglutide (Wegovy) pen approved", 14 April 2026.
- MHRA, updated guidance for semaglutide prescribers and patients on NAION, 5 February 2026.
- Haute Autorité de Santé, Wegovy obesity opinion, adopted 4 February 2026, published 20 February 2026.
- VRT NWS, Belgian health minister declines Wegovy reimbursement, 4 June 2026.
- Zorginstituut Nederland, statement on obesity medicines and the basic package, 6 November 2025.
- District Court of The Hague, preliminary injunction on compounded semaglutide, 5 August 2026, as reported 6 August 2026.
- EMA shortages catalogue, Ozempic entry marked resolved, page updated 13 January 2026.
Two items on this page rest on secondary reporting rather than a document we could open directly: the NICE recommendation of May 2026 on cardiovascular prevention, and the current status of the German statutory exclusion. Both are marked as reported rather than verified. If you are relying on either, check the primary source.
This page is background information, not medical advice. Semaglutide is a prescription medicine everywhere in Europe. Whether it is appropriate for you is a question for a doctor or a pharmacist.