Catégorie oBox : OBOXMA

A major shift is under way in the U.S. weight-loss market as the first daily Wegovy pill officially hits pharmacies nationwide, offering an affordable and needle-free alternative to the popular injectable version of the drug.

Approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in December and launching in January, the oral version contains the same active ingredient, semaglutide, and represents the first GLP-1 weight-loss medication designed to be taken as a daily tablet instead of a weekly injection.

Clinical trials have shown that the pill can deliver comparable weight-loss results to the injectable form when used alongside diet and exercise, giving millions of Americans a new option in their weight-management journey.

One of the biggest consumer advantages of the Wegovy pill is its price point, which starts at roughly $149 U.S. per month for self-pay patients — about half the typical cost of the injectable version and significantly less than many GLP-1 shots that often exceed $1,000 U.S. monthly without insurance.

Retail giants including CVS and Costco, along with telehealth providers such as Ro, LifeMD, and WeightWatchers, have begun offering the pills, while insurance plans and savings programs can bring costs down even further, with some insured patients paying as little as $25 U.S. per month.

This lower cost combined with easier access could broaden the market for obesity treatment, particularly for people who have been discouraged by the high prices of injections or who prefer a pill to a shot.

Once a day

For consumers, the availability of a daily pill version may not only reduce financial barriers but also simplify treatment routines. Unlike weekly injections that require careful handling and storage, the Wegovy pill can be taken once a day — though it typically must be taken on an empty stomach for best absorption — and does not require refrigeration. This could make long-term adherence easier for many patients, especially those with needle anxiety or complex schedules. The arrival of the Wegovy pill could mark a turning point in obesity treatment, pointing to a shift toward more affordable and consumer-friendly options in a market long dominated by injectable drugs.

According to Politico, Donald Trump informed senior U.S. oil executives both before and after the military strike on Venezuela, urging them to prepare to pour significant investment into the country as Washington moved toward action against the Maduro government. The briefings took place as U.S. forces were preparing the operation that led to the capture of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, a move that placed the world’s largest proven oil reserves at the center of renewed geopolitical attention. While the administration framed the outreach to energy companies as forward-looking economic planning, the consultations occurred without parallel briefings to Congress, which was effectively bypassed in advance of the operation. The disclosures have raised sharp questions in Washington about transparency, oversight, and whether economic interests were prioritized over constitutional consultation in the lead-up to the Venezuela strike.

Donald Trump publicly reinforced the economic rationale behind the Venezuela operation in a televised address following the strike, explicitly linking military action to future control and redevelopment of the country’s oil sector. In his remarks, Trump said «We’re going to have our very large United States oil companies, the biggest anywhere in the world, go in, spend billions of dollars, fix the badly broken infrastructure, the oil infrastructure and start making money for the country», framing U.S. energy corporations as central actors in Venezuela’s post-Maduro future. The statement came amid revelations that oil executives had already been briefed ahead of the operation, and it underscored how closely energy interests were woven into the administration’s strategy.

«They want to go in, and they’re going to do a great job for the people of Venezuela, and they’re going to represent us well»

-Donald Trump

When explaining his approval of the operation to capture Nicolás Maduro, Donald Trump tied the decision directly to control of Venezuela’s oil industry, accusing the country in recent weeks of having stolen oil from the United States. Speaking aboard Air Force One, he framed the intervention as a corrective measure aimed at reclaiming economic leverage over one of the world’s largest energy reserves. Asked whether U.S. oil companies were aligned with his plan, Trump indicated they were fully supportive, saying «They want to go in, and they’re going to do a great job for the people of Venezuela, and they’re going to represent us well», reinforcing the view that the operation was conceived not only as a political or security move but as a gateway for American energy firms to take a central role in reshaping Venezuela’s oil sector.

According to Politico, the Trump administration’s effort to draw U.S. oil companies into Venezuela has generated hesitation rather than enthusiasm among industry leaders, despite repeated encouragement from the White House. People familiar with the discussions said executives were told that participation would be a condition for future reimbursement, a message summed up by one industry official as «You gotta go in if you want to play», reflecting what they described as a hard-line approach from the administration. That offer, the official said, has been on the table for about 10 days, but it has done little to ease concerns inside the industry. Executives remain deeply wary of the scale of the challenge, noting that Venezuela’s oil infrastructure has fallen into such disrepair that «The infrastructure currently there is so dilapidated» it is impossible to reliably assess what would be required to make production viable again. The uncertainty is compounded by the lack of clarity over who will govern Venezuela in the near future, leaving oil executives cautious about committing billions of dollars to a country whose political and operational landscape remains unresolved.

Donald Trump has sharply escalated his threats toward other countries in the Western Hemisphere and beyond, signaling an expansive foreign-policy posture that stretches from Mexico and Cuba to Greenland, and framing it as part of a broader effort to reassert U.S. influence. In remarks following the recent U.S. military operation that led to the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife — an unprecedented development that has drawn widespread international attention — Trump and senior administration officials have pointed to strategic concerns and governance challenges as justification for stepped-up pressure on neighboring governments and territories. This includes renewed rhetoric about the strategic importance of Greenland, which has elicited strong rebukes from Greenlandic and Danish leaders, and pointed warnings toward Cuba and Colombia as potential subjects of continued U.S. focus. Analysts say these moves reflect a modern reinterpretation of long-standing U.S. hemispheric doctrines and illustrate Trump’s intent to project what he describes as American dominance across the region.

Speaking to reporters in the aftermath of the U.S. attack on Venezuela, Donald Trump framed the operation and his subsequent warnings to other governments as part of a broader regional strategy, according to CNN. Asked about Washington’s objectives, Trump said Sunday that «We are in the business of having countries around us that are viable and successful and where the oil is allowed to freely come out», signaling a direct link between political stability, energy access and U.S. intervention. He went further by explicitly asserting American power, declaring that «American dominance in the Western hemisphere will never be questioned again», a statement that crystallized the administration’s increasingly assertive posture following the capture of Nicolás Maduro. These remarks, delivered over the past two days, have set the tone for a wider escalation, as governments from Mexico to Greenland, as well as Cuba and Iran, have reacted with alarm, rejection or defiance to what they see as a renewed and unapologetic projection of U.S. influence across the region.

Greenland and Denmark have reacted with firm rejection and growing concern to Donald Trump’s renewed statements about acquiring or exerting greater control over the Arctic territory, remarks that gained fresh attention in the wake of the U.S. military operation in Venezuela. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen sharply rebuked Trump’s comments, saying that «it makes absolutely no sense to talk about the U.S. needing to take over Greenland» and insisting that the United States «has no right to annex any of the three countries in the Danish Kingdom», underscoring that Greenland is not for sale and that Washington should stop threatening a close ally. Greenland’s own prime minister, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, echoed this tone by calling Trump’s rhetoric «disrespectful» and urging respect for Greenland’s sovereignty and self-determination, while emphasizing that there is no immediate danger of any forced takeover. These statements reflect deep unease in both Nuuk and Copenhagen about the implications of Trump’s broader foreign-policy posture, particularly when framed alongside recent U.S. actions in Venezuela and comments linking strategic interests in distant territories.

Mexico’s president, Claudia Sheinbaum, has strongly rejected the U.S. intervention in Venezuela and reaffirmed her country’s long-standing foreign policy of non-intervention and respect for sovereignty. Speaking at her daily press conference, she condemned the operation that led to the capture of Nicolás Maduro, stating that Mexico «categorically rejects intervention in the internal matters of other countries» and stressing that while cooperation on security issues is possible, military intervention is not. Sheinbaum also reiterated that Mexico is a sovereign nation where «the people rule», dismissing suggestions of U.S. military involvement on Mexican soil as unnecessary, even as Donald Trump has floated the idea of using force to confront drug cartels. Her remarks underline Mexico’s constitutional commitment to non-interference and place clear limits on Washington’s actions in the region.

Cuba has responded with fierce condemnation and profound alarm to the U.S. military operation in Venezuela that resulted in the capture of Nicolás Maduro and his wife, denouncing the intervention as «state terrorism» and a blatant violation of international law. According to the BBC, the Cuban government says 32 of its nationals were killed during the U.S. operation, describing the dead as members of its armed forces and intelligence agencies who were killed «in combat actions» and declaring two days of national mourning; the Cuban armed forces said these personnel «fell, after fierce resistance, in direct combat against the attackers or as a result of bombardments of installations». The Cuban leadership has underscored its long-standing alliance with Venezuela — noting that Cuba has for years supplied Maduro with his personal security detail and maintains personnel throughout the Venezuelan military — and the reported losses have deepened fears on the island about its own security and future. At the same time, U.S. officials have publicly criticized Havana’s support for Maduro and signaled continued pressure on the Cuban government, heightening anxieties that Cuba could now face increased strategic and diplomatic pressure from Washington in the wake of the Venezuelan episode.