Prefer tablets over injections? Here are all the oral options available in Australia.
| Medication | Type | Avg. loss | Cost/mo | Duration | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Duromine | Stimulant | 5–10% | ~$100 | 12 weeks max | Short-term appetite kickstart |
| Contrave | Combination | 5–10% | ~$300 | Long-term | Emotional/reward eating |
| Xenical | Fat blocker | 3–5% | ~$80 | Long-term | Budget-friendly, OTC option |
Note: Rybelsus (oral semaglutide) is available for diabetes but not TGA-approved for weight loss in Australia as of 2026-04-03.
Oral medications are more convenient (no needles) and generally cheaper, but they produce less weight loss than injectable GLP-1 medications. The average weight loss with tablets is 3–10% vs 15–21% with injections.
If you start with tablets and don't achieve sufficient results, your doctor may recommend progressing to an injectable option.
The biggest limitation of current oral medications is their modest effectiveness (3–10% weight loss) compared to injectable GLP-1s (15–21%). This is about to change. Novo Nordisk has launched oral semaglutide in the US, and Eli Lilly is developing orforglipron — an oral GLP-1 agonist. When these reach Australia, you'll be able to get GLP-1-level results in a pill. Estimated Australian availability: 2027–2028.
For any of these, the underlying question is whether oral medication produces enough weight loss for your goals. If you need more than 10% loss, injectable GLP-1 medications are significantly more effective.