The Danish drugmaker said in a statement that it expects to file an application for the daily tablet for regulatory approval in the United States and the European Union in 2023.

A global launch of the oral 50 milligram (mg) semaglutide drug is contingent on portfolio prioritisations and manufacturing capacity, the company added.

The results are another boost for Novo Nordisk whose weekly Wegovy injection has transformed the weight-loss market since its U.S. launch in June 2021, capturing the attention of patients, investors and even celebrities worldwide.

The headline results published on Monday showed a comparable weight loss as in the company's trial with injectable semaglutide in obesity under the Wegovy brand, said Martin Holst Lange, head of development at Novo Nordisk.

That leads to around 15% weight loss on average, alongside diet and exercise changes.

"The choice between a daily tablet or weekly injection for obesity has the potential to offer patients and healthcare providers the opportunity to choose what best suits individual treatment preferences," he added.

The Phase IIIa study trial called OASIS involved 667 adults with obesity or who were overweight with one or more comorbidities. The treatment was in conjunction with lifestyle intervention.

While widely expected, the result of the study was a reassuring outcome given the threats of future competitive drugs, Jefferies wrote in a note to clients.

Sales of the 50 mg drug could rise to $8 billion a year, the brokerage estimated.

The drug appeared to have a "safe and well-tolerated profile", with the most common adverse impact being mild to moderate gastrointestinal effects that diminished over time, Novo Nordisk said.

(Reporting by Louise Breusch Rasmussen; additional reporting by Boleslaw Lasocki and Maggie Fick; editing by Terje Solsvik and Paul Simao)

By Louise Rasmussen