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People who are squeamish about needles will soon have an alternative, as the Food and Drug Administration has approved a pill version of Wegovy that could be available as soon as next month. Novo Nordisk, maker of the GLP-1 weight-loss drug, announced on Monday that it has received FDA approval for its once-daily pill that has been shown to achieve comparable weight-loss results as the injectable Wegovy. The Danish drugmaker said the pill could launch in the U.S. in early January, while it is still awaiting approval from regulatory authorities elsewhere. The news marks a new era for the spate of popular weight-loss drugs. While there is a 14-milligram oral semaglutide currently on the marketthe diabetes drug Rybelsusthe Wegovy pill will be made available in a higher, 25-milligram dose. Theres not yet a pill version of Ozempic, which is also made by Novo Nordisk. As the first oral GLP-1 treatment for people living with overweight or obesity, the Wegovy pill provides patients with a new, convenient treatment option that can help patients start or continue their weight loss journey, Mike Doustdar, president and CEO of Novo Nordisk, said in a statement. We are very excited for what this will mean for patients in the U.S. THE PILL RACE The race to get a weight-loss pill on the market has been a long time coming, as Novo Nordisk began clinical trials of the Wegovy pill more than two years ago. Eli Lilly, maker of Zepbound and Mounjaro, is currently testing a weight-loss pill called orforglipron in clinical trials and the drug is part of an FDA priority voucher program that comes with a faster timeframe for reviewing medications. Wegovy is also part of that program. As with the shot, the Wegovy pill will require a prescription from a doctor. About one in eight American adults were taking a GLP-1 drug as of several weeks ago, according to a KFF Health Tracking Poll released last month. These drugs are especially popular among middle-aged adults, as 30% of people between the ages of 50 and 64 reported that theyve used one of these drugs at some point, the highest share among any demographic. A pill version could mean that even more people are on weight-loss medications. We believe it will expand access and options for patients, Dr. Jason Brett, principal U.S. medical head for Novo Nordisk, told CNN in an interview. We know there are some patients who just wont take an injectable medication. COST IN FOCUS But the cost of these drugs has also become a concern, and particularly if insurance doesnt cover them. Last month, President Donald Trump announced a plan to lower the costs of popular prescription drugs, including Wegovy and Ozempic, if people purchase through TrumpRX. The Wegovy pill will be available for as little as $149 per month for the starting dose of 1.5 milligrams as part of that deal the drugmaker struck with the Trump administration last month. That said, the starting dose of these drugs typically doesnt yield the same type of weight loss and are intended to help people build up a tolerance. Novo Nordisk didnt provide information about the pricing for the higher dosage of the pill that was approved by the FDA. Shares of the Danish drugmaker have surged more than 8% so far this week.
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E-Commerce
The fintech industry has spent the last decade obsessing over seamless experiences and bringing financial products inside the tools that consumers were already hooked on. Instant approvals, one-click funding, and frictionless onboarding became the benchmarks of success. And for good reason; they removed friction that had frustrated their customers for generations. But here’s what we’re learning as embedded finance matures: The consumers and businesses that use embedded financial products repeatedly and stay loyal to their platforms are not just staying for the technology and platform. They’re staying because when they need it, theyre able to get help from people who understand the product, can anticipate their issues, and guide them through decisions that carry real financial weight. Its not just the technology that is required to win, but the right level of service also. EMBED SOLUTIONS, NOT JUST PRODUCTS Embedded fintech puts financial services directly inside the software people already use to manage their everyday life or business. Here’s why the human element matters from day one. Say youre a restaurant owner looking to apply for capital through your point-of-sale system. When a business owner needs to understand their costs, their options, and whether it makes sense to take a bank loan or advance, reassurance and education are the difference between gaining a customer and losing one. Financial issues carry real consequences and static. Confusing FAQ pages often arent enough to build the trust needed to work through them. Tomorrows embedded solutions cater to the full experience. They offer support from onboarding onwards, and a person to call when need arises. An API that works smoothly is embedded finance. A specialist who walks a customer through why their funding limit changed and what they can do about it? That’s a true embedded solution. SPEED ALONE WONT HELP Fast approvals get customers excited. A three-minute application that results in instant access to $50,000 in working capital, or a next generation embedded credit card, feels impressive at first. But speed without guidance often leads to confusion and eventually customers who stop using the product. Consider the restaurant owner we mentioned above who is applying for working capital through their point-of-sale system. They’re looking at questions about personal guarantees, wondering what happens to their home if the business hits a rough patch. They’re trying to figure out if automatic deductions will interfere with making payroll next week. A self-serve flow can’t anticipate or answer questions like this. It makes it hard to build trust or drive long-term use. Human support changes the numbers by helping customers understand what they have access to and how to use it. When someone has access to a human to help them work out how to use a product, the math is simple. They use it a lot more. BETTER SERVICE EQUALS MORE ADOPTION The most successful embedded fintech products combine great products with a team of people who know how to guide customers through complex decisions. It’s not about choosing between automation and service. It’s about using both where they work best. Even with a smooth digital experience, first-time financial product users benefit from talking to someone who understands their business. The best specialists don’t just answer questions. They help customers see how to get the most value. Most businesses don’t use the maximum available credit. Not because they don’t need it, but because they’re unsure when it makes sense to access more. When a specialist reaches out to say, “We noticed you’re growing quickly and using about 60% of your available capital. Want to talk about whether increasing your limit makes sense?” two things happen. First, the customer feels seen. Second, they’re more likely to access additional capital that actually helps them grow. THE FUTURE OF EMBEDDED FINANCE The embedded finance industry is moving past the early “automate everything” phase. The platforms and providers building long-term relationships understand that financial products are fundamentally about trust, and trust comes from consistent, helpful interaction backed by reliable technology. This doesn’t mean every fintech provider will build massive support teams. It means the successful ones will figure out how to deliver expert guidance at scale, using technology to make human expertise more accessible and effective, not to replace it. For software platforms, this creates an opportunity. As embedded finance becomes more common, service quality becomes a key way to stand out. Its not just about access to capital and financial services. The platforms that help their customers actually use them to grow will build stronger relationships than platforms that simply offer another feature. Luke Voiles is CEO of Pipe.
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E-Commerce
Aerospace company Starfighters Space, which operates the world’s only commercial supersonic aircraft fleet out of NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, is down double digits after major gains following completion of its initial public offering (IPO) last week. Starfighters Space’s stock price has had a volatile ride in the days since, and Tuesday was no exception. On Tuesday, shares of the stock, which are trading under the ticker symbol FJET, were down 55%, just one day after Monday’s record gains, when it soared a whopping 371%. The Florida-based company completed its IPO last Wednesday, with shares beginning to trade on the NYSE American the next day. The company raised $40 million in its Regulation A offering. The stock opened at $10 per share, and peaked at $17.72 on Thursday before sliding back down to $6.69 on Friday, according to Investor’s Business Daily. In midday trading on Tuesday at the time of this writing, FJET was trading at $14.18 a share. What is Starfighters Space? The company owns and operates the largest commercial fleet of supersonic aircraft, which consists of seven Lockheed F-104 Starfighters adapted for space missions, and is based out of NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. Starfighters is developing a StarLaunch program, which uses the jets to deploy satellites and small payloads into space, with the capability to fly at MACH 2 speed. Founded just three years ago in 2022, the company also offers pilot and astronaut training, in-flight testing services, and solutions for both defense and private sector industries. Current customers include Lockheed Martin, GE, Innoveering, Space Florida, and the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory. Starfighters Space financials Starfighters Space Inc. had an approximate market capitalization of $395 million at the time of this writing. The public listing . . . reflects growing investor interest in companies providing real-world aerospace capabilities aligned with national security, space access, and advanced testing requirements,” Starfighters CEO and founder Rick Svetkoff said in a recent statement. “The Company is well positioned to deliver services to a range of customers through our fast, innovative and unique platform.
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E-Commerce
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