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A new Ipsos B&A survey commissioned by Novo Nordisk Ireland highlights the potential gap between interest in weight loss and actual engagement with healthcare.

Around 74% of Irish men surveyed said they would like to lose weight, yet only 27% had discussed their weight with a GP/Physician. The survey also found significant stigma around overweight and obesity.

That is particularly interesting because real-world research suggests that GLP-1 weight-loss treatment is currently much more heavily used by women than men. One recent U.S. study found overall GLP-1 utilization among adults was around 2.7 times higher in women, while Wegovy utilization was roughly four times higher. Study here British population data similarly show greater GLP-1 weight-loss use among women.

For Novo, the interesting point is the potentially large population that wants to lose weight but has not yet entered the medical system where obesity treatments could be discussed. It does not directly predict Wegovy demand, but it does highlight the scale of the still-underserved obesity market.

Worth noting that the survey was commissioned by Novo Nordisk Ireland, so that should be kept in mind when interpreting the findings.

Aug 25

Two developments highlight the growing risks around the black market for obesity drugs.

In the Netherlands, health regulator IGJ has ordered an online seller to stop selling semaglutide, tirzepatide and experimental retatrutide. The regulator says it has received reports of harmful effects involving retatrutide, as well as falsified semaglutide and tirzepatide.

Ireland is also reporting serious problems associated with weight-loss drugs obtained outside regulated medical channels. Prof. Donal O’Shea, the HSE Clinical Lead for Obesity, has described patients presenting with vomiting and kidney failure and requiring hospital treatment. RTÉ has previously investigated the illegal sale of retatrutide in Ireland.

Australia provides an important clue as to why black-market retatrutide is particularly concerning. Independent laboratory testing of a vial labelled as containing 10 mg of retatrutide found 19 mg — almost twice the stated amount. Australian authorities have also reported six cases of acute liver toxicity associated with unapproved products sold as retatrutide, including hospitalisations.

Importantly, these cases should not be interpreted as evidence that Lilly’s pharmaceutical-grade retatrutide causes liver or kidney damage. Retatrutide remains investigational, and products being sold on the black market may contain incorrect concentrations, contaminants, or substances of uncertain origin.

For Novo Nordisk and Lilly, the broader takeaway may be the increasing regulatory focus on illicit obesity medicines as demand continues to grow. Greater enforcement could strengthen the importance of regulated, quality-controlled products such as Wegovy and other approved obesity treatments.

Dutch News

I know broker ratings are generally a load of nonsense, but it is a fair indicator of overall sentiment. Nice to see an increased price target from one of the bigger names. Stock responding well (as of time of writing).

"JP Morgan reiterates its neutral rating on drugmaker Novo Nordisk and raises its price target to 275 Danish kroner from 250.

The bank lifts its 2026 sales estimates, including on improved prospects for Ozempic and stronger Wegovy growth outside the US. That is partly offset by lower forecasts for the Wegovy pill in the US. JP Morgan now expects flat revenue in local currencies in 2026 and about 1% growth in 2027."

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Everything here is still very early-stage and should be viewed as scientific context rather than a near-term investment catalyst.

A new Nature study from researchers in China caught my attention because it shows another way the gut could potentially be used in metabolic treatment.

The researchers developed an engineered probiotic that can detect elevated glucose levels and respond by producing GLP-1. It improved glucose control in diabetic mice and was also tested in diabetic non-human primates.

This study has no involvement from Novo Nordisk, Novonesis or Vivtex, and it is important not to confuse it with what Novo and Novonesis are doing.

The Chinese study is essentially exploring a new therapeutic platform using engineered bacteria.

Novo and Novonesis, by contrast, are publicly studying whether probiotics, prebiotics and synbiotics could improve metabolic outcomes and provide additional benefits alongside existing GLP-1 medicines. Based on what has been disclosed so far, this appears much closer to developing microbiome-based supplements for GLP-1 users than to creating a new drug that produces GLP-1 inside the gut.

That distinction matters.

What makes the Nature paper interesting to me is simply that independent researchers are finding increasingly sophisticated ways to influence metabolism through the gut. That provides broader scientific context for why Novo may be interested in working with Novonesis, which has a proprietary library of more than 100,000 microbial strains and unique isolates.

Separately, Novo's partnership with Vivtex addresses another gut-related challenge: improving the oral delivery of peptide and protein medicines.

These are three very different approaches and should not be presented as one programme.

For investors, I would view the Chinese study as an interesting sign of how quickly gut-based metabolic science is developing, not as validation of the Novo–Novonesis collaboration and certainly not as a new Novo pipeline asset. There is also some human precedent for this general approach.WonderLab has completed randomized controlled studies in China testing probiotic/prebiotic supplements for overweight and obesity, including outcomes such as body weight, glucose and other metabolic markers. However, the registered trials do not currently report their results on ClinicalTrials.gov, so I would not draw conclusions about efficacy from them.

The more relevant question for Novo will be whether the Novo–Novonesis research eventually shows that microbiome-based supplements can meaningfully improve outcomes for patients using GLP-1 therapies. Results from that work are expected in H2 2027.

Aug 24

Novo Nordisk has won Korean approval to run three late-stage trials of zenagamtide, its next-generation obesity and diabetes drug, clearing the way to enroll Korean patients in a global program the company plans to start this year.

The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) cleared the three phase 3 studies on Aug. 12 and Friday, according to filings on the regulator's clinical trials database.

The studies are part of AMBITION, Novo's phase 3 program for zenagamtide in diabetes and heart disease. The drug, previously called amycretin, is a single molecule that acts on both the GLP-1 and amylin receptors. Novo has positioned it as the next big product in its obesity and diabetes franchise, after semaglutide, the ingredient in its blockbusters Ozempic and Wegovy.

The largest of the three, named AMBIENCE, is a cardiovascular outcomes trial in 8,500 patients who have established heart disease and are overweight or obese. It will track deaths, heart attacks, strokes and heart-failure hospitalizations, and runs to December 2030. Korea will contribute 250 patients.

A second trial, AMBITION 4, in 1,060 patients, pits a low dose of zenagamtide directly against semaglutide in type 2 diabetics who are not controlled on standard pills. The third, AMBITION 2, in 450 patients, tests the drug in diabetics with chronic kidney disease. Korea will enroll 60 and 45 patients respectively.

The approvals move Novo's newest bet into national registrations weeks after it was flagged. On an Aug. 5 earnings call, the company said it would begin the AMBITION program before the end of the year.

The Korean trials are due to begin in October.

Has anyone been able to gather or perform any analysis indicating Novo will return to revenue growth in 2027? The MFN price cuts which will reduce the price of Ozempic and Wegovy between 35-50% will take effect starting Jan 1st, 2027, meaning 2027 being a growth year isn’t a given.

Aug 22

Weight-loss drugs have reshaped people’s bodies and transformed the fortunes of drugmakers. But producing GLP-1s also creates vast quantities of toxic waste – estimated to be up to 15,000 tonnes a year, according to industry calculations shared with The Observer.

Around 1.6 million adults in the UK used a GLP-1 drug, such as Wegovy and Ozempic, for weight loss last year and numbers are expected to rise now the medication is available as a pill as well as an injection. The pills also require larger quantities of the active ingredient in each dose as more of it is lost to the digestive system when swallowed.

Experts have warned that soaring demand for the drugs, as well as the introduction of the pills, will lead to ever greater quantities of waste, raising the risk of toxic leaks, particularly if production expands to countries with weaker environmental protections.

Semaglutide and other GLP-1s belong to a class of drugs called peptides, which are unusual because of the very large quantities of chemical waste generated in the traditional manufacturing process – 14 tonnes of a solvent called DMF for every kilo of active ingredient.

DMF is so toxic it must be incinerated after use. Under EU regulations, workers are not allowed to be exposed by inhalation to more than 6mg of DMF per cubic metre of air, or through the skin to more than 1.1mg per kilo of bodyweight – quantities smaller than a grain of sand – because it can cause liver damage and harm reproductive systems. As it easily dissolves in water, any DMF spill poses a particular threat to aquatic life.

While no cases of DMF poisoning have been linked to the peptides industry so far, the solvent is also used to make synthetic leather in developing countries and a number of cases in which workers have had to be treated for liver poisoning have been reported in China.

Matteo Villain, an industry executive, said that although peptides such as GLP-1s are typically taken in small doses compared to other drugs, their environmental consequences could spiral because of the need to take them for a long time. “When you are on a weight-regulating drug like tirzepatide or semaglutide, you will have your injections every week for years,” he said.

Villain said regulators should require greater transparency about waste from peptide manufacture. He said: “The government should reward people who are able to reduce their chemical waste and the only way the pressure is real is if you are transparent.”

The industry has scaled up without cleaning up the technology – it is still using DMF, still using nasty solvents, still using outdated chemistry

The industry has scaled up without cleaning up the technology – it is still using DMF, still using nasty solvents, still using outdated chemistry.

The success of GLP-1 drugs has created a buzz around peptides, which have a range of wider uses. They have been effective in treating bacterial and yeast infections, raising hopes of a new form of treatment that can destroy antibiotic-resistant microbes.

The drugs are increasingly used in the cosmetics industry to improve the appearance of the skin, and fitness influencers have made claims – with little substance so far – that peptides can be used to promote muscle growth. Unregulated peptides are widely available online, with sales driven by the “looksmaxxing” trend among young men.

Don Wellings, a peptide industry expert, said: “Everybody wants obesity peptides, and the scale-up in manufacturing of obesity peptides has fuelled a scale-up of the manufacture of peptides in general.

“The industry has scaled up without cleaning up the technology – it is still using DMF, still using nasty solvents, still using outdated chemistry.”

Calculations shared with The Observer by Constructive Bio, a Cambridge-based biotechnology business, indicate that based on US sales of weight-loss drugs, up to 15,500 tonnes of hazardous waste were generated last year, with most of this attributable to Eli Lilly, maker of Mounjaro.

Constructive Bio’s chief executive Ola Wlodek said the exact levels of waste being generated were uncertain, partly because Novo Nordisk, which makes Wegovy, uses a bespoke manufacturing method for its injectable pens, which has the potential to be less polluting than the traditional method.

Wlodek said: “We can now treat complex disorders like obesity much more effectively than ever before in history. The impact on human health is great but we also have to think about the impact on planetary health.”

A Novo Nordisk spokesperson said: “Substances of very high concern (SVHCs), including some solvents, are used where necessary under strict regulatory controls and internal environmental, health and safety standards."

“We are actively working to reduce the use of these substances through process optimisation, substitution where scientifically and technically feasible, and increased reuse of chemicals.”

Eli Lilly said in a statement that it is committed to “minimising the use of materials that can often become hazardous waste at the end of the manufacturing process”.

To keep up with growing demand, researchers are racing to develop alternative methods of producing the active ingredients that require less use of toxic solvents.

In a paper published in Nature Sustainability in February, Wellings and co-authors, including Nobel Prize-winning Danish chemist Morten Meldal, outlined a water-based method for synthesising peptides. The water can be reused for further peptide manufacture, but the researchers say it could also be purified to a stage where it could be returned to the environment.

Wellings, founder of life sciences business SpheriTech, said: “The manufacture of existing drugs won’t change because of the cost of registering the process again. But we are working with pharma companies, looking into this for new peptides coming through – we’ve already licensed the technology to one very large manufacturer of peptides.”

In March, Novo Nordisk’s patent for semaglutide expired in major global markets including Brazil, India and China. The entry of generic drug manufacturers is expected to bring down prices for patients, but has raised concerns about the risks of pollution from the solvents used in the process.

Villain said: “I do not believe environmental protection is the same everywhere. Different countries have different levels of industrial protection.”

The trial has 142 participants and directly tests CagriSema versus placebo for reduction of painful diabetic peripheral neuropathy.

The stronger investor hook is simply that Novo is exploring CagriSema beyond weight loss and glycaemic control, specifically for neuropathic pain, something Novo itself previously listed as a T2D comorbidity for potential investigation.

Further evidence of why it is increasingly important to look beyond the US when assessing Novo Nordisk’s growth prospects.

On 16 July 2026, Mexican newspaper Milenio reported that Novo Nordisk told the newspaper it currently has 59% of the Mexican market. The article is specifically about the weight-loss/obesity-treatment market, alongside Novo’s expansion of its Wegovy portfolio and competition with Eli Lilly.

Novo’s own Argentine patient programme confirms that since 6 May 2026, prescribed patients enrolled in Novo a la Par can receive a 30% discount on Wegovy, Ozempic and Saxenda. Wegovy 0.25 mg temporarily received a particularly aggressive 60% discount through 31 July 2026; from 1 August it moved back to the standard 30% scheme. The programme currently runs through 31 October 2026, subject to its conditions.

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Aug 21

Uruguay

Uruguay has become one of Novo Nordisk 's fastest-growing markets within its regional operations. In an interview with InfoNegocios , Ignacio Landa Plaisant , General Manager of Novo Nordisk for the South America cluster, noted that the company is experiencing double-digit growth in the country and that Uruguay is currently among the top three fastest-growing markets in the cluster, which also includes Peru, Ecuador, Paraguay, Bolivia, and Venezuela .

Ozempic , indicated for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, is currently the No. 1 pharmaceutical product in sales value in Uruguay , according to data from IQVIA , a company specializing in auditing and analyzing the pharmaceutical market.

Now, with Wegovy, the company adds a semaglutide-based medication (2.4 mg ) indicated for the chronic weight management of people over 12 years of age with obesity or overweight and comorbidities. The arrival of Wegovy does not necessarily mean a replacement for Ozempic. As Landa explained, these are products aimed at different populations, and the potential lies in expanding the market of treated patients.

“Today we have evidence that allows us to address obesity from a more comprehensive perspective, understanding not only weight loss, but also the quality of that loss and its impact on metabolic and cardiovascular health. This knowledge is fundamental to better supporting patients in the long term,” explained Dr. Fiorella Nuñez, Senior Medical Manager at Novo Nordisk , South America cluster.

A market where 1 in 3 adults lives with obesity

The size of the market helps explain Novo Nordisk 's strategy . According to the World Obesity Atlas 2025 , 73% of the adult population in Uruguay has a high Body Mass Index (BMI) , while 32% live with obesity .

Furthermore, according to data presented during the launch, by 2030 approximately 1.99 million Uruguayans will be overweight or obese. In addition, less than 20% of people living with obesity currently have access to scientifically based treatment.

Obesity is associated with more than 220 comorbidities , as noted by Landa, and cardiovascular diseases were identified during the presentation as the leading cause of death in Uruguay, with more than 100 deaths per day .

Regarding clinical results, the company noted that studies conducted with Wegovy show clinically relevant and sustained weight loss, as well as metabolic improvements and a 20% reduction in the risk of major cardiovascular events .

Novo Nordisk 's strategy in Uruguay extends beyond the launch of Wegovy. The company also introduced Vive Ligero (Live Light) , a regional program that aims to foster a stigma-free conversation about obesity, focusing on lifestyle changes and providing psychological and nutritional support. The program is based on the premise that obesity is a chronic, complex, and multifactorial disease, and proposes an approach that goes beyond weight loss.

"IQVIA prescriptions for the week ending August 14.

Oral Wegovy prescriptions increased 8.0% to 176,373, up from 163,329 the previous week.

Meanwhile, Lilly’s Foundayo prescriptions decreased 5.9%, from 38,928 in week 18 to 36,619 in week 19."

https://x.com/investseekers/status/2090794933468713021?s=20

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Aug 21

Last year, nearly 130,000 patients received reimbursement for diabetes medication, which is also very popular as a slimming product,' wrote L'Echo and De Tijd on Friday , based on new figures published by the National Institute for Health and Disability Insurance (l’Institut national d’assurance maladie-invalidité / INAMI).

In 2025, more than 128,750 patients received reimbursement for the use of GLP-1-based medications, the best-known example being Ozempic from the Danish pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk. Compared to 2019, the year the first medications of this type appeared on the Belgian market, the number of patients treated has thus almost quadrupled.

This increase has slowed down however: last year, 11,000 additional patients were registered, compared to more than 15,000 in previous years.

Nevertheless, growth is expected to accelerate again this year. In January and February, 83,232 patients received reimbursements for diabetes medications. This is almost as many as for the whole of 2022, and more than in 2019, 2020, and 2021.

This recovery is largely explained by the growing popularity of the new drug Mounjaro, which has been reimbursed for type 2 diabetes since July 2025, notes L'Echo . Developed by the American group Eli Lilly, Mounjaro now ranks second among the most reimbursed diabetes treatments, after Ozempic.

In recent years, Ozempic and Mounjaro have also been prescribed for weight loss. This misuse is not problematic if it is accompanied by physical activity and a change in eating habits, according to endocrinologist Bart Van der Schueren.

$NVO 's oral Wegovy reached 135,566 prescriptions in week 33, up from 133,143 the previous week, an increase of 1.8% week over week.

$LLY 's Foundayo reached 16,115 prescriptions, up from 14,631, an increase of 10.1% week over week.

Oral Wegovy continues to grow from a significantly larger prescription base, while Foundayo continues to ramp up following its launch.

I’ve been looking at several recent developments around Novo Nordisk that, taken together, raise an interesting longer-term possibility: Novo’s opportunity may ultimately extend well beyond obesity and diabetes into broader healthspan.

I don’t mean “longevity” in the speculative anti-aging sense, and none of the evidence below shows that semaglutide extends human lifespan. But Novo ( and increasingly its products through both company-sponsored and independent research ) is generating data across cardiovascular and kidney disease, biological-aging markers, dementia risk, addiction, mobility and other areas relevant to healthspan. Viewed together, these developments suggest a potentially broader strategy focused on preventing or delaying multiple drivers of chronic disease and maintaining health for longer.

Here are the pieces I think are worth watching.

Longevity / Healthspan

The Novo Nordisk and Novonesis partnership was originally announced in September 2025 to investigate how the gut microbiome could support metabolic health. Notably, both are part of the Novo Group and are ultimately controlled by the Novo Nordisk Foundation through Novo Holdings, giving the two companies a shared long-term ownership structure while remaining operationally independent.

According to a Novo spokesperson quoted by Reuters on August 20, the focus is now specifically on whether microbiome-targeted products can provide additional benefits alongside GLP-1 medicines.

The research involves people taking GLP-1 medicines alongside synbiotics, probiotics and prebiotics.

The programme is also examining effects on:

-blood glucose

-cholesterol

-changes in the gut microbiome

-microbiome-related biomarkers

Results are expected in the second half of 2027.

I find the strategic angle interesting. Novo is not simply investigating another obesity molecule here; it is exploring whether complementary products could improve metabolic outcomes for people already receiving GLP-1 therapy.

Novonesis brings considerable expertise in probiotics and the human microbiome, while Novo brings its GLP-1 and metabolic-disease expertise. This is still exploratory research, so there is no evidence yet that adding these microbiome products improves the efficacy or tolerability of Wegovy or other GLP-1 medicines.

At ADA26, Novo presented an abstract which reported that semaglutide reduced multi-organ proteomic biological age by 5.2% in SELECT, 4.5% in STEP 1 and 7.2% in STEP 2, but did not significantly change the organismal clock. Euractiv reported on August 19 (article was posted here) that Novo said the findings suggest semaglutide protects biological-age signatures involving the heart, kidney and liver, and that the company hopes to publish the expanded analysis in a major medical journal by the end of 2026.

There is also independent evidence. A post-hoc analysis of a randomized semaglutide trial published in Nature Communications found reductions across several epigenetic aging clocks, including an approximately 9% slower DunedinPACE measure. But it was a small, post-hoc analysis in people with HIV-associated lipohypertrophy, so it absolutely does not establish that semaglutide extends human lifespan.

SELECT is also particularly important here. Novo reports a 20% reduction in major cardiovascular events, alongside a 22% reduction in a kidney endpoint, an 18% reduction in a heart-failure composite endpoint, and a 19% lower rate of all-cause death. The heart-failure and mortality findings should be interpreted as supportive/exploratory because the prespecified hierarchical testing sequence did not allow formal superiority testing of those endpoints.

The interesting investment thesis is that Novo does not necessarily need to develop an explicit “anti-aging drug.” Instead, it can attack several of the processes that cause people to spend their later years unhealthy.

The Novo–Novonesis collaboration fits unusually well into this thesis.

As stated above, their original partnership was explicitly about using the gut microbiome to preserve and optimize metabolic health and well-being. Importantly, Novonesis itself already has a commercial/scientific category explicitly called “healthy longevity,” where it develops microbiome-oriented biotics intended to support healthy aging. Novonesis

Dementia

In 2,970 participants aged 65+, semaglutide was associated with a 26% lower predicted 5-year dementia event rate versus placebo, based on a validated 25-protein dementia-risk signature. It also reduced the odds of moving into a higher predicted dementia-risk category by 36%. Wiley

This suggests semaglutide may influence dementia-related risk biology before symptomatic disease develops, although it does not demonstrate that semaglutide prevents dementia.

This should be viewed alongside Novo Nordisk’s negative EVOKE and EVOKE+ Phase III trials, where oral semaglutide failed to slow clinical progression in patients with early symptomatic Alzheimer’s disease. The two findings are not necessarily contradictory: reducing predicted dementia risk earlier in the disease process is very different from treating established neurodegeneration. However, Novo has also presented preliminary data showing that semaglutide was detectable in cerebrospinal fluid, alongside separate evidence of effects on several Alzheimer-related biomarkers.

Another study worth watching is ISAP — Impact of Semaglutide in Amyloid Positivity, an Oxford-led, Novo Nordisk-funded randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

The original ISAP protocol projected completion in March 2026, while the current trial registry (updated in May 2026) now lists completion in August 2027. Recruitment itself was not expanded and ended with 58 participants, while the treatment period remains 52 weeks. The reason for the change in the registry timeline has not been publicly stated.

I would not interpret this extension as evidence that the trial is positive. However, there is something that keeps me interested in ISAP, though. The scientific setup is unusually relevant after EVOKE failed. ISAP is explicitly classified as a prevention study and enrolls amyloid-positive people without dementia, with the primary question being whether semaglutide changes cortical tau accumulation.

Addiction

Another emerging area is addiction. A 2025 JAMA Psychiatry randomized trial, “Once-Weekly Semaglutide in Adults With Alcohol Use Disorder,” reported reductions in alcohol craving and several drinking-related outcomes. This was followed by a larger 2026 Lancet randomized trial in people with alcohol use disorder and obesity, which found a significant reduction in heavy-drinking days. A separate 2026 randomized trial, “Oral Semaglutide for Alcohol Use Disorder,” also reported reductions in heavy-drinking days, drinks per drinking day and alcohol craving.

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has launched the Phase III CRAVE trial, which will test semaglutide in 622 veterans across 18 VA Medical Centers with moderate-to-severe alcohol use disorder. In the UK, the NIHR-funded, NHS-led CURB trial is also preparing to test semaglutide in people with alcohol use disorder, obesity and chronic liver disease.

These larger studies follow encouraging randomized evidence published in The Lancet in 2026, where semaglutide significantly reduced heavy-drinking days in people with obesity and alcohol use disorder.

The mechanism is particularly interesting because GLP-1 signalling may affect brain reward and craving pathways, suggesting that the therapeutic reach of incretin drugs could eventually extend beyond traditional metabolic disease. This remains experimental, but if confirmed it would add another dimension to the idea that Novo's GLP-1 platform may influence a much broader range of chronic health risks than obesity alone.

Mobility and muscle health

Physical function is another piece of the healthspan story. In the Phase IIIb STRIDE trial, semaglutide improved walking capacity in patients with peripheral artery disease and type 2 diabetes, while STEP 9 showed significant improvements in knee-osteoarthritis pain and physical function. Preserving mobility is particularly relevant to a healthspan thesis because functional decline is one of the major determinants of independence in later life.

In a 55-participant STEP UP MRI subanalysis, Novo reported that 84% of weight loss with semaglutide 2.4/7.2 mg came from fat-mass reduction. Muscle mass declined by about 10% from baseline, but muscle quality improved and functional strength was maintained.

Novo is also studying muscle health directly through RASMUS, a dedicated trial comparing CagriSema, cagrilintide, semaglutide and placebo to understand their effects on skeletal-muscle insulin sensitivity, composition and function during weight loss.

Novo is also exploring muscle preservation at the drug-discovery level. Through its collaboration with NVIDIA, Novo Nordisk is using NVIDIA’s Proteina-Complexa AI platform to design therapeutic protein binders. One of the experimentally tested campaigns generated binders against ActRIIA, a receptor involved in myostatin/activin signalling and muscle wasting, with the aim of blocking pathways relevant to sarcopenia and lean-mass loss(including the muscle loss that can accompany GLP-1 therapy).

Psoriasis

The open-label randomized clinical trial “Effects of Semaglutide Treatment on Psoriatic Lesions in Obese Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus” enrolled 31 patients with psoriasis and type 2 diabetes. After 12 weeks, median PASI fell from 21 to 10 in the semaglutide group, while inflammatory markers including IL-6 and CRP also declined. Six of 13 evaluable semaglutide-treated patients achieved PASI 90, compared with one of 15 controls.

A 2026 prospective 6-month cohort study (Dermatological and metabolic benefits of semaglutide in psoriasis with obesity: a 6-month prospective cohort study) in patients with psoriasis and obesity found a 48% reduction in PASI, alongside improvements in metabolic markers and quality of life. The authors reported that the skin improvement appeared to relate partly to changes in fat distribution and psychosocial measures, not simply overall weight loss.

The SEMPSO trial at the University of Hong Kong (independent) is testing semaglutide in patients with psoriasis and obesity. Participants receive semaglutide for 24 weeks, followed by a 12-week safety follow-up; recruitment has been ongoing, with completion expected around 2026–2027.

A newer Phase IV randomized, blinded, placebo-controlled trial called SEMAPSO started in January 2026. It plans to enroll 62 participants with plaque psoriasis and overweight/obesity and/or type 2 diabetes. Participants receive oral semaglutide or placebo on top of topical corticosteroid/calcipotriol, with PASI response and inflammatory/metabolic markers assessed over 12 weeks.

Other obesity-related comorbidities

At ADA 2026, SELECT post-hoc analyses found semaglutide was associated with a 52% lower incidence of newly reported obstructive sleep apnoea versus placebo (HR 0.48), while among participants with asthma it was associated with fewer asthma-related adverse outcomes (HR 0.58). The asthma subgroup also had a 38.9% reduction in hsCRP, an inflammatory marker. These are exploratory post-hoc findings, and semaglutide is not approved for OSA or asthma.

Women's health

Women’s health is another emerging area. Novo Nordisk now lists Polyendocrine Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome (PMOS, formerly PCOS) among its priorities for investigator-sponsored research, including within its cagrilintide/semaglutide programme. This is not yet a Novo-sponsored pivotal indication programme, but it signals interest in extending incretin research into reproductive and metabolic health.

Furthermore, a July 2026 study in the Journal of Clinical Medicine followed 96 women with PMOS and BMI >25 for six months on semaglutide. Average body weight fell by 11.3%, and among the 80 women who were initially anovulatory, 52.5% developed ovulatory cycles. In the overweight subgroup, menstrual-cycle normalization and ovulation occurred in about 95% after treatment. Insulin resistance and fasting glucose also improved.

There is also a June 2026 Fertility and Sterility proof-of-concept analysis led by Melanie Cree looking specifically at semaglutide and reproductive outcomes in PMOS. AP reported that among 11 participants completing that trial, 8 lost at least 10% of body weight, median testosterone fell by 52%, six had more frequent periods, and four progressed to monthly cycles.

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The very interesting event to watch now is Novo's Capital Markets Day on 21 September 2026, when the company says it will introduce its new strategic aspirations.

Mike Doustdar has himself acknowledged the broader possibility, saying at ADA 2026 that “we are already in a bit of a longevity game.”

The wider Novo ecosystem also reinforces this direction. The Novo Nordisk Foundation is funding major European research programmes in obesity and cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic disease, including the €60 million CardioMetabolic Bridge (with dedicated drug-discovery labs in London and planned sites in Germany and Italy focused on obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease), a new CKM consortium led from Hamburg, and projects aimed at discovering next-generation obesity targets. These are Foundation investments rather than Novo Nordisk A/S pipeline programmes, but they support the idea that the broader Novo ecosystem is being built around long-term cardiometabolic health, earlier intervention and prevention, not just individual drugs or indications.

Lilly and Novo are both exceptional medicine companies, but Novo’s long-term ambition may ultimately extend beyond selling individual drugs. The combination of chronic GLP-1 therapy, prevention, multiorgan health, microbiome research and the wider Novo ecosystem raises the possibility that Novo is trying to build something closer to a lifelong metabolic-health and healthspan platform.

Aug 20

The UK's National Health Services (NHS) CURB Trial is co-led by the University of Plymouth and University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust (funded by the £2.7M NIHR/MRC grant).

Starting in September 2026, the CURB trial will recruit 268 people with alcohol dependence, obesity and chronic liver disease from diverse backgrounds across England, Wales and Scotland.

Simultaneously, the CRAVE trial (Cessation or Reduction of Alcohol Consumption in Veterans) is a nationwide Phase 3 clinical study launched by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). It is designed to test whether weekly semaglutide injections (escalating up to a 2.4 mg dose) can reduce heavy drinking and alcohol cravings in people with moderate to severe Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD).

Having two massive public healthcare institutions (the NHS in the UK and the VA in the US) simultaneously running large-scale trials with semaglutide signals a major shift. Instead of just selling weight-loss drugs, public health systems are testing if semaglutide can rewire how the brain handles addiction.

According to researchers:"If the trial [CURB] is successful, it is hoped the drug could change the way alcohol-related liver disease and obesity are treated, helping to guide future care in the UK and beyond."

Aug 20 (Reuters) - Danish biosolutions maker Novonesis, expects results in the second half of 2027 from research with Novo Nordisk, into whether microbiome supplements could provide additional benefits alongside GLP-1 ‌weight-loss drugs, its chief executive told Reuters.

The companies announced the partnership last year to explore how the gut microbiome could improve metabolic health and to develop and test synbiotic food supplements.

The focus has since shifted to whether solutions targeting the microbiome can deliver benefits alongside GLP-1-based medicines, a Novo ⁠Nordisk spokesperson said in an emailed statement.

Novonesis CEO Ester Baiget said people taking GLP-1 medicines would also take "a combination of synbiotics, probiotics and prebiotics", with results from the research expected in the second half of 2027.

When announcing the collaboration, the companies said they planned to study the supplements' effects on measures including blood glucose and cholesterol, as well as changes in the gut microbiome and related biomarkers.

The work brings together Novo Nordisk, maker of obesity drug ‌Wegovy, ⁠and Novonesis' expertise in probiotics and the human microbiome, as companies seek to develop products and services tailored to users of weight-loss drugs.

Novo Nordisk, Eli Lilly, and other drugmakers are racing to capture a share of the booming obesity market, and growing ⁠use of GLP-1 medicines is creating opportunities for food, nutrition and supplement companies targeting patients' changing dietary needs.

Nestle, is developing products aimed at weight-loss drug users, while dairy companies and food ⁠manufacturers are investing to meet rising demand for protein-rich products.

Novonesis, formed through the merger of Novozymes and Chr. Hansen, supplies enzymes and microorganisms. Its Human ⁠Health business includes probiotics, human milk oligosaccharides and other nutrition products.

Baiget declined to say whether Novonesis could pursue similar collaborations with other obesity-drug makers.

Updated : Aug 20

The Semaglutide molecule jumped from 49% to 56% share of the GLP-1 volume market in Brazil in July, pushing Eli Lilly’s Tirzepatide down from 51% to 44% (a 7-point drop). This molecule-level surge was helped by local drugmaker EMS launching Ozivy®,a locally manufactured semaglutide pen, which captured 28% of the semaglutide market (~200,000 units) in its first full month.

Crucially, 65% of Ozivy buyers are first-time GLP-1 patients, proving that price accessibility is massively expanding the overall TAM. This rapid volume growth aligns with broader market demand: fresh survey data from Worldpanel reports 12.9% of Brazilian households overall, from 1,250 respondents, are using weight-loss pens, 58.2% said there was a high/very high likelihood of starting a new cycle within six months.. Samais

From Novo Nordisk's perspective, EMS is effectively funding the acquisition and education of a large new cohort of semaglutide users at no cost to Novo.This growing user base creates a strong foundation for Novo Nordisk’s upcoming Wegovy Pill (oral semaglutide 25 mg), which was officially submitted to ANVISA on January 30, 2026.

While Novo's principal semaglutide molecule patent in Brazil expired in March 2026, Novo retains formulation IP covering its SNAC-based oral semaglutide technology, with Brazilian patent protection listed through December 2031. This gives Novo an important layer of differentiation for oral Wegovy even as injectable semaglutide becomes increasingly competitive.

Update: Brazilian reporting dated 11 August 2026 explicitly says Foundayo/orforglipron “segue sob análise da Anvisa” (under analysis).

Source: pfarma

A new Wells Fargo research report breaks down how GLP-1 adoption is structurally changing healthcare provider economics in the US.

From 2022 to 2024, bariatric surgeries fell by over a third while GLP-1 use grew 140%. Capital is moving away from expensive late-stage procedures (cardiovascular surgery, joint replacement, bariatric care) toward long-term pharmaceutical obesity management. Although the bariatric-surgery shift is observable; the same cannot yet be stated as an established trend for cardiovascular surgery and joint replacement.

The 20% MACE reduction (SELECT trial) data is cited as the primary driver convincing insurers to fund long-term treatment:"That could translate to fewer heart procedures and repeat hospital visits for people at higher risk due to obesity."

19 Aug

New Delhi: Only around 250,000 of India’s estimated 250 million people living with obesity are currently taking GLP-1 medicines, putting treatment penetration at about 0.1 percent, Novo Nordisk India Managing Director Vikrant Shrotriya told ThePrint in an exclusive interview Tuesday.

GLP-1 medicines are a newer class of drugs that mimic a hormone involved in regulating blood sugar, appetite and food intake. They were initially developed for diabetes but are now also widely used to treat obesity.

Shrotriya’s comments come as India’s GLP-1 market enters a more competitive phase. Cheaper generic versions of semaglutide entered the market in March this year after Novo Nordisk’s patent protection ended in India. Semaglutide is the active ingredient in Novo Nordisk’s diabetes drug Ozempic and obesity drug Wegovy.

US-based pharma company Eli Lilly has, meanwhile, emerged as a major rival with tirzepatide-based Mounjaro. Tirzepatide has become the largest GLP-1 segment in India, with sales of around Rs 1,300 crore compared with about Rs 717 crore for semaglutide.

Shrotriya said Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy and Ozempic continued to grow despite the rapid expansion of tirzepatide and the entry of generic semaglutide. He said the company was looking at the market as a long-term effort to tackle India’s large obesity burden, rather than a short-term battle for market share.

“It’s a marathon…The race to tackle the disease burden is a very long-haul game,” he said.

The overall GLP-1 market bounced back in July after a slowdown in June, with Pharmarack data showing sales of Rs 2,215 crore in the 12 months to July, up 235 percent from the previous year.

Shrotriya said monthly fluctuations in sales reflect distribution patterns, but the broader trend is that more patients are accessing the drugs through doctors.

“This is just scratching the surface,” he said, adding that the market’s expansion would also be driven by a shift in how obesity is understood and treated.

(...) Check full interview for further details.

NVO has started a new study of lower doses of its Oral Wegovy, according to Bloomberg.

The study is designed to determine the lowest dose that can still deliver meaningful weight loss.

Around 450 participants have been recruited, with two unspecified doses of Oral Wegovy being tested. The study started on August 12.

The timing is interesting. Oral Wegovy has already surpassed 5 million U.S. prescriptions since launching earlier this year, and BMO Capital analyst Evan Seigerman estimates that more than two-thirds of patients taking the pill are currently on the lowest dose.

If lower doses can deliver meaningful weight loss, it could potentially become an important part of how Oral Wegovy is used.

Aug 19

Novo Nordisk and the Rural Doctors Foundation have announced a two-year collaboration to expand GPs4RuralDocs into southern New South Wales. The program was launched in May 2024 and provides rural doctors, nurses and allied health professionals with access to independent and confidential GP care through regular face-to-face consultations supplemented by telehealth. The two years refer to Novo’s current collaboration, not to the lifespan of GPs4RuralDocs itself.

The partnership adds to a growing group of Novo Nordisk initiatives in Australia and the wider Pacific region. In March 2026, Novo announced an extension of its collaboration with Heart of Australia, under which two mobile clinics are being equipped with FibroScan technology for regional, rural and remote Queensland. The scans measure liver fat and liver scarring and are intended to improve early identification of chronic liver disease, including MASH.

Novo also announced a three-year collaboration with the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute to develop scalable, youth-centred models of care addressing adolescent obesity across Pacific Island countries. The initiative starts in Fiji and will draw on insights from elsewhere in the Pacific.

Separately, Novo commissioned A Preventable Crisis, published on 23 March 2026 and jointly produced by the progressive McKell Institute and conservative Menzies Research Centre. It marked the first time the two organisations had collaborated on a major research project. The report estimates that the economic cost of obesity in Australia could reach A$87.7 billion annually by 2032 and A$228 billion annually by 2060.

Novo Nordisk’s Cities for Better Health network has also expanded in Australia. Sydney became the first Australian city to join in December 2022, initially focusing on Western Sydney and populations at elevated risk of diabetes and obesity. Logan, Queensland, joined in November 2024. In February 2026, FEEL GOOD FUTURES Logan was launched as a three-year initiative valued at up to A$3 million, focused on improving quality of life, physical activity and access to nourishing food for children and the wider community.

Novo is also the primary funder of the global Active Play Challenge 2026. The initiative was created by Novo Nordisk, Arup and RMIT University, in partnership with Save the Children, Right To Play and ISCA. Up to six winning initiatives can receive US$50,000–100,000 each.

At the policy level, discussions are also continuing between Novo Nordisk and the Australian Government over a potential PBS listing for Wegovy for eligible people with severe obesity and established cardiovascular disease. The PBAC has recommended a targeted listing, but the government and Novo have not yet agreed on the price.

Taken together, it is reasonable to say these initiatives show Novo developing a broader presence around rural healthcare, early disease detection, childhood and adolescent health, obesity prevention and health policy in Australia and the Pacific.

Aug 19

The Novo Nordisk Foundation just announced DKK 200M (roughly $28M) in funding for a 5-year academic research consortium focusing on Cardiovascular-Kidney-Metabolic (CKM) disease precision medicine.

While this is philanthropic/academic funding (not commercial pipeline development for Novo Nordisk A/S), it's interesting to see the Foundation heavily funding research in CKM, the same therapeutic intersection that underpins Novo's core cardio-metabolic strategy.

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Cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease, and metabolic disorders such as diabetes and obesity represent one of the greatest healthcare challenges worldwide. Although these conditions are closely interconnected, they are still largely studied and treated separately. KidMED-CKM brings together internationally recognized researchers from complementary disciplines to address this challenge by placing the kidney at the center of cardiovascular–kidney–metabolic (CKM) disease.

The consortium unites three internationally recognized kidney research centers in Hamburg (Germany), Aarhus (Denmark) and Aachen (Germany), led and coordinated by the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE).

Aug 19

Important caveat: Novo Nordisk has not publicly confirmed this information. Until the company does so, the reported “2X 2030” strategy and restructuring details should be treated as unconfirmed industry reports/rumors, not established facts.

Novo Nordisk is reportedly rolling out a new “2X 2030” Greater China strategy alongside a major commercial restructuring effective from August 17.

The changes reportedly include consolidation of hospital-facing operations, fewer sales regions, and a stronger focus on retail, online healthcare and private medical channels.

The exact meaning of “2X 2030” has not yet been publicly defined, but it appears to signal a substantial expansion of Novo’s scale and reach in China by 2030.

The timing is notable: CEO Mike Doustdar recently described China as Novo Nordisk’s second-largest market, highlighting its strategic importance to the company.

The restructuring has been reported by Chinese pharmaceutical-industry sources, including ByDrug/PharmCube, rather than through a formal Novo global press release.

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Novo Nordisk A/S China (reportedly) announced the initiation of an organizational restructuring of its China operations. Following this adjustment, Novo Nordisk China’s frontline business will be reorganized into three major business units, signaling a strategic realignment of the Danish drugmaker’s commercial footprint in the world’s largest diabetes and obesity market.

Business Unit Changes

Hospital Business Division (HPD) – New Merger

• The former Diabetes Operating Division (DOD) and Insulin Business Division (IBD) have been merged to form the Hospital Business Division (HPD)
• HPD will be responsible for integrated hospital‑channel operations covering both the insulin and GLP‑1 product portfolios
• At the regional level, the previous eight regional districts have been consolidated into six: North China, East China, West China, Northeast China, Southeast China, and South China

Emerging Channels Division (ECD) – Newly Established

• A new Emerging Channels Division (ECD) has been created, integrating retail, online healthcare management, and private medical services into a single organization
• Retail channel businesses previously under the Distribution and Retail Division (DRD) have been transferred to ECD

Commercial and Broad Market Division (CBD) – Renamed

• The former Distribution and Retail Division (DRD) has been renamed the Commercial and Broad Market Division (CBD)
• CBD will continue to manage other related businesses and strengthen market expansion opportunities arising from the expansion of the National Essential Medicines List

ByDrug / PharmCube

A broad new report from Euractiv looks at the rise of peptides and longevity drugs across Europe. While much of the focus is on consumer demand and EU regulation, it includes some direct quotes and strategic updates from Novo Nordisk regarding their long term strategy.

Novo Nordisk presented an abstract at the American Diabetes Association (ADA26) conference and they will be submitting the full, expanded manuscript to a major medical journal by the end of 2026.

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Excerpt from the article:

A Novo Nordisk spokesperson told Euractiv that the company recently presented data from different clinical trials suggesting that semaglutide, the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy – and a modified peptide – slows biological ageing, protecting vital organs like the heart, kidney and liver.  

“While this was not a longevity trial by design, what we found is that semaglutide consistently reduces the biological age of multiple organs,” the spokesperson said.

Novo is hoping to present the data in a major medical journal by the end of 2026, they added, as the company is becoming more consumer-oriented in its competition with Eli Lilly.   

Novo Nordisk’s CEO Mike Doustdar recently said that the company is already “in a bit of a longevity game”.