Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly Intensify Competition in Obesity Drug Market
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Jun 08 2026
0mins
Source: CNBC
- Prescription Milestone: Novo Nordisk announced that prescriptions for its Wegovy drug have surpassed 3 million in the U.S. market, indicating strong growth in the competitive GLP-1 drug market, even as Eli Lilly launched its own GLP-1 pill, Foundayo.
- New Medicare Opportunity: Starting in July, millions of Medicare beneficiaries will gain access to GLP-1 drugs for weight loss at $50 per month, significantly reducing the financial burden on patients and potentially boosting Wegovy's market share.
- New Drug Development Progress: At the conference, Lilly presented Phase 3 data for its experimental drug retatrutide, showing an average weight loss of 28% among patients, which could reshape the obesity treatment landscape, especially among individuals with higher BMIs.
- Future Product Strategy: Novo Nordisk plans to launch the CagriSema drug, although its efficacy has not surpassed Lilly's Zepbound, the company remains committed to diversifying its cardiometabolic health product line to address market competition and enhance its stock price.
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Analyst Views on NVO
Wall Street analysts forecast NVO stock price to rise
8 Analyst Rating
4 Buy
3 Hold
1 Sell
Moderate Buy
Current: 43.520
Low
42.00
Averages
54.67
High
70.00
Current: 43.520
Low
42.00
Averages
54.67
High
70.00
About NVO
Novo Nordisk A/S is a global healthcare company engaged in diabetes care. The Company is also engaged in the discovery, development, manufacturing and marketing of pharmaceutical products. The Company operates through two business segments: diabetes and obesity care, and biopharmaceuticals. The Company's diabetes and obesity care segment covers insulin, GLP-1, other protein-related products, such as glucagon, protein-related delivery systems and needles, and oral anti-diabetic drugs. The Company's biopharmaceuticals segment covers the therapy areas of hemophilia care, growth hormone therapy and hormone replacement therapy. The Company also offers Saxenda product to treat obesity. It offers a range of products, including NovoLog/NovoRapid; NovoLog Mix/NovoMix; Prandin/NovoNorm; NovoSeven; Norditropin, and Vagifem. As of December 31, 2016, it marketed its products in over 180 countries. Its regional structure consists of two commercial units: North America and International Operations.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
Japan Approves Wegovy for Liver Disease Treatment
- Drug Approval: Japan has officially approved Wegovy subcutaneous injection, co-promoted by Sumitomo Pharma and Novo Nordisk, for the treatment of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), marking a significant advancement in treatment options for this liver disease.
- Clinical Study Results: In the Phase 3 ESSENCE study, 36.8% of patients receiving Wegovy 2.4 mg showed improvement in liver fibrosis at week 72, compared to only 22.4% in the placebo group, demonstrating Wegovy's significant efficacy in improving liver fibrosis.
- Efficacy Comparison: Among patients treated with Wegovy, 62.9% resolved MASH without worsening liver fibrosis, while only 34.3% in the placebo group achieved this, indicating Wegovy's clear advantage in treating MASH and potentially offering new hope for patients.
- Safety Confirmation: The company stated that Wegovy's safety profile remains consistent with previous data, with no new safety concerns identified, further enhancing its competitive position in the market, especially in the treatment of liver diseases associated with obesity and type 2 diabetes.
See More
Novo Nordisk Launches CardioMetabolic Bridge to Advance Obesity Research
- Project Launch: The Novo Nordisk Foundation has initiated the CardioMetabolic Bridge program, committing DKK 450 million ($69.1 million) over six years to advance research on obesity and type 2 diabetes, demonstrating the company's long-term commitment to health innovation.
- European Expansion: The first lab is set to open in London later this month, with additional sites planned in Italy and Germany, creating a comprehensive research network across Europe that aims to enhance Novo Nordisk's influence and market share in the field.
- Innovation Support: Operated by the BioInnovation Institute in Copenhagen, the initiative is designed to assist startups and support established pharmaceutical companies, facilitating the translation of scientific research into treatment solutions and further strengthening Novo Nordisk's R&D capabilities.
- Market Competition: Novo Nordisk indicated that this effort could eventually bolster its drug pipeline, particularly in the context of competing with Eli Lilly in the obesity drug market, highlighting its strategic advantage in the industry.
See More
Zealand Pharma Shares Plunge 23% Amid Survodutide Concerns
- Drug Efficacy Concerns: Zealand Pharma's weight loss drug, survodutide, has shown a 19% patient dropout rate due to side effects in clinical trials, prompting analysts to slash peak sales forecasts by nearly 80%, posing a significant challenge to the company's obesity treatment strategy.
- Stock Volatility: The company's stock plummeted 23% earlier this month and dropped 36% in March due to lower-than-expected efficacy of another drug, petrelintide, marking the two worst performances since its IPO in 2010, with a year-to-date decline of 38%.
- Shift in Market Focus: Despite the bleak outlook for survodutide, investors are shifting their attention to petrelintide, with analysts believing it still holds potential in the weight loss market, especially with upcoming late-stage trials.
- Increased Competitive Pressure: At the American Diabetes Association meeting, amylin drugs like petrelintide were highlighted as key future players, and despite competition from major firms like Eli Lilly, Zealand Pharma still has opportunities to carve out a niche in the obesity market.
See More
Zealand Pharma Faces Setbacks, Analysts Reassess Obesity Drug Strategy
- Drug Efficacy Issues: Zealand Pharma's obesity drug survodutide faced significant setbacks with a 19% patient dropout rate, prompting analysts to slash peak sales forecasts by nearly 80%, which will severely impact the company's market performance and investor confidence.
- Optimistic Outlook for New Drug: Despite disappointing tolerability data for survodutide, analysts remain positive about the amylin-based drug petrelintide, believing it has the potential for modest weight loss and excellent tolerability, positioning it as a future growth driver.
- Intensifying Market Competition: At the American Diabetes Association meeting, the demand for amylin drugs was widely recognized, and Zealand's petrelintide faces competition from major players like Eli Lilly, necessitating a clear differentiation to attract patients in a crowded market.
- Crucial Future Trials: Petrelintide is set to initiate late-stage trials in the second half of the year, and analysts believe its success will directly influence Zealand's market position, particularly in the treatment of obesity and fatty liver disease.
See More
Hims & Hers Partners with Novo Nordisk, Boosting Stock Momentum
- Growth Through Partnership: Novo Nordisk announced on March 9 that it will sell its blockbuster drugs Wegovy and Ozempic through Hims & Hers, with Barclays noting improved customer momentum, indicating a positive impact from the collaboration.
- Price Target Increase: Barclays raised its price target for Hims & Hers from $29 to $39, implying a 21% upside from the last closing price, reflecting increased confidence in the company's future growth trajectory.
- Revenue Acceleration Expectations: Revenue and EBITDA for Hims & Hers are expected to significantly accelerate in the second half of 2026 due to strong demand for weight-loss products and contributions from other business lines, further solidifying its market position.
- Market Sentiment Rebound: Retail sentiment for Hims & Hers improved from 'bullish' to 'extremely bullish', with message activity rising over 120% in the past week, indicating investor optimism regarding the company's outlook.
See More
Recap of CNBC Investing Club Monthly Meeting
- Portfolio Analysis: During the June Monthly Meeting, Jim Cramer and Jeff Marks provided an in-depth analysis of 35 portfolio stocks, highlighting their preference for Intel due to its significant upside potential in data center CPU growth, particularly in the context of competition with TSMC.
- Tech Giants Restructuring: Cramer noted a reordering of the 'Magnificent Seven,' with newcomers like SpaceX and the yet-to-go-public Anthropic and OpenAI emerging as formidable competitors, indicating intensified market competition, especially in the AI sector.
- Strengths of Alphabet and Apple: Alphabet is positioned advantageously in the AI era with its YouTube and Waymo businesses, while Apple leverages its ecosystem of over 2.5 billion iPhone users to strengthen its AI partnership with Alphabet, showcasing both companies' robust market positions.
- Market Dynamics and Investment Strategy: Despite challenges faced by Meta and Microsoft, Cramer advises maintaining investments in Amazon and Nvidia, believing that the latter's GPU demand will continue to grow, and that Amazon's cloud business remains highly profitable.
See More
Japan Approves Wegovy for Liver Disease Treatment
- Drug Approval: Japan has officially approved Wegovy subcutaneous injection, co-promoted by Sumitomo Pharma and Novo Nordisk, for the treatment of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), marking a significant advancement in treatment options for this liver disease.
- Clinical Study Results: In the Phase 3 ESSENCE study, 36.8% of patients receiving Wegovy 2.4 mg showed improvement in liver fibrosis at week 72, compared to only 22.4% in the placebo group, demonstrating Wegovy's significant efficacy in improving liver fibrosis.
- Efficacy Comparison: Among patients treated with Wegovy, 62.9% resolved MASH without worsening liver fibrosis, while only 34.3% in the placebo group achieved this, indicating Wegovy's clear advantage in treating MASH and potentially offering new hope for patients.
- Safety Confirmation: The company stated that Wegovy's safety profile remains consistent with previous data, with no new safety concerns identified, further enhancing its competitive position in the market, especially in the treatment of liver diseases associated with obesity and type 2 diabetes.
See More
Novo Nordisk Launches CardioMetabolic Bridge to Advance Obesity Research
- Project Launch: The Novo Nordisk Foundation has initiated the CardioMetabolic Bridge program, committing DKK 450 million ($69.1 million) over six years to advance research on obesity and type 2 diabetes, demonstrating the company's long-term commitment to health innovation.
- European Expansion: The first lab is set to open in London later this month, with additional sites planned in Italy and Germany, creating a comprehensive research network across Europe that aims to enhance Novo Nordisk's influence and market share in the field.
- Innovation Support: Operated by the BioInnovation Institute in Copenhagen, the initiative is designed to assist startups and support established pharmaceutical companies, facilitating the translation of scientific research into treatment solutions and further strengthening Novo Nordisk's R&D capabilities.
- Market Competition: Novo Nordisk indicated that this effort could eventually bolster its drug pipeline, particularly in the context of competing with Eli Lilly in the obesity drug market, highlighting its strategic advantage in the industry.
See More
Zealand Pharma Shares Plunge 23% Amid Survodutide Concerns
- Drug Efficacy Concerns: Zealand Pharma's weight loss drug, survodutide, has shown a 19% patient dropout rate due to side effects in clinical trials, prompting analysts to slash peak sales forecasts by nearly 80%, posing a significant challenge to the company's obesity treatment strategy.
- Stock Volatility: The company's stock plummeted 23% earlier this month and dropped 36% in March due to lower-than-expected efficacy of another drug, petrelintide, marking the two worst performances since its IPO in 2010, with a year-to-date decline of 38%.
- Shift in Market Focus: Despite the bleak outlook for survodutide, investors are shifting their attention to petrelintide, with analysts believing it still holds potential in the weight loss market, especially with upcoming late-stage trials.
- Increased Competitive Pressure: At the American Diabetes Association meeting, amylin drugs like petrelintide were highlighted as key future players, and despite competition from major firms like Eli Lilly, Zealand Pharma still has opportunities to carve out a niche in the obesity market.
See More
Zealand Pharma Faces Setbacks, Analysts Reassess Obesity Drug Strategy
- Drug Efficacy Issues: Zealand Pharma's obesity drug survodutide faced significant setbacks with a 19% patient dropout rate, prompting analysts to slash peak sales forecasts by nearly 80%, which will severely impact the company's market performance and investor confidence.
- Optimistic Outlook for New Drug: Despite disappointing tolerability data for survodutide, analysts remain positive about the amylin-based drug petrelintide, believing it has the potential for modest weight loss and excellent tolerability, positioning it as a future growth driver.
- Intensifying Market Competition: At the American Diabetes Association meeting, the demand for amylin drugs was widely recognized, and Zealand's petrelintide faces competition from major players like Eli Lilly, necessitating a clear differentiation to attract patients in a crowded market.
- Crucial Future Trials: Petrelintide is set to initiate late-stage trials in the second half of the year, and analysts believe its success will directly influence Zealand's market position, particularly in the treatment of obesity and fatty liver disease.
See More
Hims & Hers Partners with Novo Nordisk, Boosting Stock Momentum
- Growth Through Partnership: Novo Nordisk announced on March 9 that it will sell its blockbuster drugs Wegovy and Ozempic through Hims & Hers, with Barclays noting improved customer momentum, indicating a positive impact from the collaboration.
- Price Target Increase: Barclays raised its price target for Hims & Hers from $29 to $39, implying a 21% upside from the last closing price, reflecting increased confidence in the company's future growth trajectory.
- Revenue Acceleration Expectations: Revenue and EBITDA for Hims & Hers are expected to significantly accelerate in the second half of 2026 due to strong demand for weight-loss products and contributions from other business lines, further solidifying its market position.
- Market Sentiment Rebound: Retail sentiment for Hims & Hers improved from 'bullish' to 'extremely bullish', with message activity rising over 120% in the past week, indicating investor optimism regarding the company's outlook.
See More
Recap of CNBC Investing Club Monthly Meeting
- Portfolio Analysis: During the June Monthly Meeting, Jim Cramer and Jeff Marks provided an in-depth analysis of 35 portfolio stocks, highlighting their preference for Intel due to its significant upside potential in data center CPU growth, particularly in the context of competition with TSMC.
- Tech Giants Restructuring: Cramer noted a reordering of the 'Magnificent Seven,' with newcomers like SpaceX and the yet-to-go-public Anthropic and OpenAI emerging as formidable competitors, indicating intensified market competition, especially in the AI sector.
- Strengths of Alphabet and Apple: Alphabet is positioned advantageously in the AI era with its YouTube and Waymo businesses, while Apple leverages its ecosystem of over 2.5 billion iPhone users to strengthen its AI partnership with Alphabet, showcasing both companies' robust market positions.
- Market Dynamics and Investment Strategy: Despite challenges faced by Meta and Microsoft, Cramer advises maintaining investments in Amazon and Nvidia, believing that the latter's GPU demand will continue to grow, and that Amazon's cloud business remains highly profitable.
See More
