Novo Nordisk has raised its 2026 sales and profit guidance after the successful launch of its Wegovy weight loss pill, which has seen surging demand in the US. The Danish pharmaceutical firm reported over two million prescriptions since January, with weekly prescriptions now exceeding 200,000. Sales of the pill reached 2.26 billion Danish krone (£261 million) in the first quarter, surpassing analyst predictions.
The launch has helped offset a decline in the company's injection treatments, which faced competition from rival Eli Lilly's Mounjaro. Adjusted net sales fell 10% in the quarter, and adjusted operating profit dropped 15%. However, the company now expects adjusted sales to dip by up to 12% for the year, an improvement from the previous forecast of 13%.
Mike Doustdar, president and CEO of Novo Nordisk, said: 'Wegovy is driving a strong start to 2026 for Novo Nordisk, led by the rapid adoption of Wegovy pill – the most efficacious GLP-1 tablet now used by more than one million patients since its January launch.' He added that the pill 'is defining a novel category as the only oral peptide for the treatment of obesity.'
Shares in Novo Nordisk rose in early trading on Wednesday following the announcement. Chris Beauchamp, chief market analyst at IG, commented: 'After the madness of the last three years it looks like Novo’s shares are returning to their longer-term trend... today’s numbers still point to a very healthy business and a long-term opportunity in Wegovy.'
