UK the first European market to launch oral Wegovy
The United Kingdom has become the first European market to commence the commercial rollout of oral Wegovy. Following authorisation by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency on June 11, 2026, private healthcare providers began dispensing the once daily semaglutide tablet on July 6. The launch introduces a needle free alternative to the dominant injectable GLP-1 therapies, specifically targeting the…
Novo Nordisk partners with OpenAI on drug development
Danish global healthcare company Novo Nordisk has announced a significant strategic partnership with AI research and deployment company OpenAI. The agreement marks a major step in the pharmaceutical giant’s efforts to integrate advanced artificial intelligence across its global value chain. According to its announcement on April 14, the maker of popular medications such as Ozempic and Wegovy intends to apply…
Novo Nordisk Commits €432m to expand Irish GLP-1 production
Danish multinational pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk has announced a significant capital investment of €432 million to expand its manufacturing facility in Athlone, Ireland, specifically to ramp up production of oral GLP-1 treatments. The initiative, announced March 2, focuses on increasing capacity for the tablet version of its weight-loss drug, Wegovy, and is intended to serve markets outside the United States.…
Infographic: The rise of NHS GLP-1 drug prescription
This graph below shows the prescription of GLP-1 medications from shortly after prescription medication Liraglutide was approved for NHS use in specialist weight management services in England to the present day. While a number of access factors have pushed uptake historically, a combination of heightened awareness and the availability of tirzepatide has pushed adoption significantly. However, based on expenditures, it…
Novo Nordisk agrees weight loss price drop with US Administration
Denmark-based global chronic disease specialist Novo Nordisk has announced an agreement with the U.S. Administration to lower Wegovy and Ozempic prices across Medicare Part D, Medicaid and cash channels starting 2026. In exchange, Medicare will pilot obesity-drug coverage and the company gains a three-year tariff exemption. Management pegs the change at a low-single-digit drag on 2026 global sales growth but…
Novo Nordisk acquiring Akero Therapeutics for $5.2bn
Denmark-based global pharma company Novo Nordisk is to acquire clinical stage company Akero Therapeutics for up to $5.2bn, filling a critical comorbidity gap within Novo Nordisk’s core therapeutic landscape. The deal adds potential first-in-class MASH (Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatohepatitis, a severe form of fatty liver disease) therapy. This is Novo Nordisk’s largest R&D-focused acquisition to date, strategically aligning with its core…
Novo Nordisk trims 11% of workforce to refocus on diabetes and obesity core
Danish multinational pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk’s September restructuring marks its largest organisational reset in decades. The Denmark-based group is in the process of eliminating around 9,000 of 78,400 positions (c. 5,000 in Denmark) as it seeks to simplify decision-making, free up capital and defend leadership in the increasingly crowded GLP-1 diabetes-and-obesity arena. With headcount having risen 73 % since 2020, new…
Novo Nordisk appoints new president and CEO as it focuses on U.S. weight-loss drug market
Novo Nordisk appointed Maziar Mike Doustdar as its new CEO and president on August 7, 2025, signalling a strategic shift to address challenges in the U.S. weight-loss drug market and competition from Eli Lilly. Doustdar, the first non-Danish leader in the company’s history, emphasised refocusing on the firm’s core strengths in obesity and diabetes while trimming its pipeline to prioritize speed and execution. His…