LONDON, May 6 (Bernama-PA Media/dpa) — Pharmaceutical manufacturer Novo Nordisk, the maker of Wegovy, said strong demand for its first weight-loss pill has put the company on course to exceed trading forecasts, reported PA Media/dpa.
Shares in the Copenhagen-based drugmaker group rose sharply in early trading on Wednesday following the announcement.
Novo Nordisk launched its Wegovy pill in January amid competition in the weight-loss drug market with Mounjaro maker Eli Lilly.
The Danish firm had seen sales and profits falter after demand for its injectable treatments was hit by the rapid growth of rival drugmakers offering weight-loss pills.
It said the Wegovy pill’s launch was the strongest of any obesity drug in the United States (US).
Novo Nordisk reported more than two million prescriptions for the pill since its launch, with weekly prescriptions currently exceeding 200,000.
Sales of the pill reached 2.26 billion Danish krone (US$356 million) in the quarter to March 31, surpassing analysts’ predictions.
The group’s adjusted net sales were nevertheless down 10 per cent for the quarter, with adjusted operating profit down 15 per cent.
It said adjusted sales could dip by as much as 12 per cent for the year, an improvement from previous guidance of 13 per cent.
Mike Doustdar, president and chief executive of Novo Nordisk, said: “Wegovy is driving a strong start to 2026 for Novo Nordisk, led by the rapid adoption of the Wegovy pill – the most efficacious GLP-1 tablet, now used by more than one million patients since its January launch.
“As the global momentum behind peptide-based therapies accelerates, Wegovy pill is defining a novel category as the only oral peptide for the treatment of obesity, setting a new benchmark for what patients and physicians can expect.
“The strong Wegovy performance, combined with continued growth in international operations, has led us to raise our 2026 guidance for both adjusted sales and adjusted operating profit.”
Chris Beauchamp, chief market analyst at IG, said: “After the madness of the last three years it looks like Novo’s shares are returning to their longer-term trend – the euphoria that saw the shares reach such dizzying highs has entirely evaporated, but today’s numbers still point to a very healthy business and a long-term opportunity in Wegovy.
“It might not have changed the world overnight, but it certainly marked a shift in treatments, a more consequential story in the long run, and one far more beneficial to sensible growth in the share price.”
— BERNAMA-PA MEDIA/dpa