The biggest shift in the weight-loss drug boom may not be Ozempic anymore
Sales are booming for Novo Nordisk’s new weight loss pill. In its first earnings report since the release of an alternative to its hit GLP-1 shot, Novo Nordisk’s outlook is looking a bit brighter. The company, which now makes Wegovy in pill form, raised its guidance for the year in light of the first quarter’s success. Novo reported 1.3 million prescriptions for its weight loss pill, which is now available in the U.S., in the first quarter of 2026. The drugmaker plans to launch the pill outside of the U.S. in the second half of the year, expanding the new medication’s reach considerably. “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,” Novo Nordisk CEO Mike Doustdar said in the report. Doustdar added that the company secured FDA approval for a high dose version of Wegovy, formulated for more dramatic weight loss, in March. Novo beat its own expectations in the first quarter of the year, reporting a 32% pop in sales on a constant currency basis and a 65% boost in operating profit. The adjusted numbers are more modest, with a 4% decrease in sales and a 6% dip in operating profit, but that still beat the company’s projections. In light of its quarter, Novo is forecasting adjusted sales and profit declines of 4 to 12% for the year, an improvement to the previous projection of 5 to 13%. The company’s shares perked up by more than 5% on its latest numbers. The company is optimistic that its pill GLP-1 offering will widen the appeal of its weight loss drugs rather than converting existing users of the injectable version. “It’s having not cannibalizations, but a synergetic effect,” CEO Mike Doustdar told CNBC. Pill Pressure Novo’s stock slumped dramatically over the course of the last year, with the Danish drugmaker struggling to recapture the highs it enjoyed in 2024, as GLP-1 medications began to take off. Meanwhile, American rival Eli L