by Novo Nordisk is taking another step in its obesity treatment program by studying whether people taking oral Wegovy (semaglutide) can maintain their weight loss with a lower maintenance dose.
The Danish pharmaceutical company has started the Phase III OASIS-5 trial, which is designed to evaluate lower doses of oral semaglutide in adults living with obesity or overweight and a related health condition.
According to trial information reported by Reuters, the study began on August 12, 2026, and is expected to run for approximately 60 weeks, involving around 450 participants. The study will assess whether lower doses can continue to support weight management while maintaining an acceptable safety profile.
Why Novo Nordisk Is Testing Lower Doses
GLP-1-based treatments have changed the way obesity is treated, but long-term treatment brings several practical questions. Patients may face gastrointestinal side effects, treatment costs, dosing challenges and difficulties staying on therapy over time.
Novo Nordisk’s latest study is therefore focused on an important question: Can patients maintain the benefits of oral Wegovy without requiring the highest maintenance dose?
The company has not publicly disclosed the exact lower doses being evaluated in the OASIS-5 trial. The study is expected to provide evidence on whether reduced dosing can maintain meaningful weight control.
Obesity Remains a Major Health Challenge
The development comes as obesity continues to affect a substantial share of the U.S. population.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that 40.3% of U.S. adults had obesity during August 2021–August 2023. The agency also reported that in 2024, adult obesity prevalence was at least 25% in every U.S. state and territory, demonstrating the scale of the ongoing health challenge.
Wegovy already has an important position in obesity treatment. In 2024, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Wegovy to reduce the risk of cardiovascular death, heart attack and stroke in certain adults with cardiovascular disease and obesity or overweight.
This means Novo Nordisk’s focus is moving beyond initial weight reduction toward questions around long-term maintenance, safety, treatment adherence and patient convenience.
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Eli Lilly Raises the Competition
Novo Nordisk is also facing stronger competition in oral obesity treatments.
Eli Lilly’s Foundayo (orforglipron) received FDA approval in April 2026 for adults with obesity or adults who are overweight with at least one weight-related condition. Unlike some existing oral GLP-1 treatments, Foundayo can be taken once daily without food or water restrictions.
The competitive landscape also includes Zepbound (tirzepatide) from Eli Lilly, while Novo Nordisk continues to advance additional obesity therapies such as CagriSema and amycretin.
Other pharmaceutical companies, including Viking Therapeutics, are also advancing oral obesity drug candidates.
As more oral treatments reach patients, companies will increasingly compete on more than weight reduction. Dosing convenience, tolerability, adherence, safety and affordability could become important differentiators.
The Key Challenge: Maintaining Results With Less Medicine
The biggest question surrounding Novo Nordisk’s OASIS-5 trial is whether a lower dose can provide sufficient long-term weight control.
A lower maintenance dose could potentially offer advantages for some patients, particularly if it improves tolerability or makes long-term treatment easier. However, these potential benefits must be demonstrated through controlled clinical evidence.
This is especially relevant because gastrointestinal adverse effects are among the concerns associated with GLP-1-based therapies.
The study could therefore help distinguish between informal lower-dose use and a scientifically evaluated maintenance strategy.
Affordability Remains an Important Issue
Access is another challenge for obesity treatments.
Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly have both introduced self-pay options for their obesity medicines, but the final cost for patients can depend on eligibility, insurance coverage, assistance programs and treatment arrangements.
This raises another important question:
If a patient requires a lower maintenance dose, will the reduction also make treatment more affordable?
The answer could influence how patients, physicians and healthcare systems view long-term oral obesity treatment.
What the OASIS-5 Trial Could Mean
The results of OASIS-5 could provide Novo Nordisk with additional information about how oral Wegovy may be used over the longer term.
If the trial demonstrates that lower doses can maintain meaningful weight control with an acceptable safety profile, it could support a more flexible approach to maintenance treatment.
However, the company will still need to demonstrate the clinical benefits through the trial and meet applicable regulatory requirements before any new dosing strategy can be incorporated into approved prescribing information.
Towards Healthcare’s Perspective
The obesity treatment landscape is moving rapidly, with pharmaceutical companies simultaneously advancing new oral medicines, combination therapies and different dosing strategies.
Towards Healthcare Research & Consulting helps stakeholders follow these developments through clinical trial intelligence, competitor tracking, regulatory monitoring and evidence-based healthcare analysis.
By connecting clinical evidence, company developments, regulatory decisions and patient-access issues, Towards Healthcare helps readers understand not just what happened, but why the development matters and what could come next.
The Novo Nordisk OASIS-5 trial is ultimately testing more than a lower dose. It is testing whether obesity treatment can become more sustainable for long-term use while preserving meaningful clinical benefits.
Insights from Payal Rabde – bringing a strategic perspective to evolving healthcare trends and developments.
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