Novo Nordisk's Awiqli Approved as First Once-Weekly Insulin
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: 2 days ago
0mins
Should l Buy NVO?
Source: seekingalpha
- FDA Approval: Novo Nordisk's Awiqli has received FDA approval as the first once-weekly basal insulin therapy, representing a significant advancement in diabetes treatment and is expected to greatly enhance patient quality of life.
- Reduced Injection Frequency: The 700 units/mL formulation allows type 2 diabetes patients to reduce their weekly injections from seven to one, significantly alleviating the medication burden on patients.
- Successful Clinical Trials: The approval is based on data from the ONWARDS phase 3a program, where Awiqli outperformed daily basal insulin in reducing the diabetes biomarker HbA1c, demonstrating its efficacy and safety.
- Broad Market Potential: Novo Nordisk anticipates launching Awiqli in the U.S. in the second half of 2026, and its innovative dosing regimen could position it prominently in the rapidly growing diabetes medication market.
Trade with 70% Backtested Accuracy
Stop guessing "Should I Buy NVO?" and start using high-conviction signals backed by rigorous historical data.
Sign up today to access powerful investing tools and make smarter, data-driven decisions.
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: 36.400
Low
42.00
Averages
54.67
High
70.00
Current: 36.400
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.
- Oil Price Watch: Market strategist Michele Schneider emphasizes that WTI crude oil prices must break above $100 per barrel to drive higher prices, as current levels have repeatedly failed to surpass this critical threshold, indicating market caution.
- Natural Gas Investment Opportunity: She believes that the recent fluctuation of natural gas prices around $280 to $290, now rising above $3, presents a good buying opportunity for investors, although she does not elaborate on the reasons.
- Rising Food Prices: Schneider notes that the increase in food and fertilizer prices is closely tied to energy prices, particularly as the DBA index shows a significant breakout in soft and agricultural commodities, suggesting potential inflationary pressures in the market.
- Stock Investment Opportunities: She highlights Novo Nordisk's recent FDA approval for insulin and Ulta Beauty's stock price drop from $700 to near $500, suggesting that these stocks may still represent good investment choices even in a recessionary environment.
See More
- Drug Development Setback: Pfizer was forced to abandon its internally developed GLP-1 weight loss drug in April 2025, which significantly hampered its competitive position in the emerging drug niche, especially as competitors like Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly reported revenue growth of 99% and 175% for their GLP-1 drugs, respectively.
- Rapid Strategic Shift: Less than a year after dropping its own drug, Pfizer quickly pivoted by acquiring a company with a promising GLP-1 candidate in November 2025, demonstrating its agility in the GLP-1 market despite looming patent expirations.
- Stable Market Position: Despite a 50% decline in value from its 2021 highs, Pfizer maintains a market capitalization of $150 billion, showcasing its resilience as an industry giant capable of navigating the typical fluctuations of the pharmaceutical sector.
- Long-Term Investment Potential: With a dividend yield of 6.2% and a payout ratio exceeding 100%, Pfizer's management has committed to maintaining its dividend, making it a potential consideration for long-term investors seeking stable returns from this industry leader.
See More
- Market Potential: The GLP-1 weight loss market is projected to reach annual sales of $100 billion by the next decade, presenting a significant growth opportunity for Viking Therapeutics and its VK2735 candidate, especially with the potential launch of an oral version.
- Clinical Trial Progress: The injectable version of VK2735 is currently in phase 3 clinical trials, while the oral version completed phase 2 trials last year with highly promising initial results, laying a solid foundation for future commercialization.
- Acquisition Potential: Should VK2735 achieve commercial viability, Viking could become a takeover target in the biotech sector, with acquisition offers potentially reaching three times its current $4 billion market cap, reflecting strong market expectations for its future.
- Investment Risks and Opportunities: Viking's stock presents a binary risk, where the success or failure of VK2735 will directly impact its share price; despite the high risks, the potential rewards are equally substantial, necessitating careful position sizing by investors to navigate possible volatility.
See More
- Significant Market Potential: The GLP-1 weight loss market is projected to reach annual sales of $100 billion by the next decade, providing Viking Therapeutics' VK2735 with substantial market opportunities, particularly with the promising results expected from its oral version's clinical trials.
- Critical Clinical Trial Phase: The injectable VK2735 is currently in phase 3 clinical trials, while the oral version's phase 2 trial completed last year with promising initial results, which will directly impact Viking's stock performance depending on the outcomes of these trials.
- Acquisition Potential: Should VK2735 achieve commercial viability, Viking's market cap of approximately $4 billion could attract acquisition offers potentially reaching three times its current valuation, highlighting its appeal as a biotech stock.
- Risks and Opportunities: While the outlook for VK2735 is optimistic, the stock carries significant volatility risks; Viking's shares once approached $100 but currently trade around $32, necessitating careful risk-reward assessment by investors.
See More
- Market Potential: The GLP-1 weight loss market is projected to reach annual sales of $100 billion by the start of the next decade, providing Viking Therapeutics' VK2735 candidate with significant commercial opportunities, especially if an oral version is approved.
- Clinical Trial Progress: The injectable version of VK2735 is currently in phase 3 clinical trials, while the oral version completed phase 2 trials last year with promising initial results, which could significantly boost Viking's stock price.
- Acquisition Potential: Should VK2735 achieve commercial viability, Viking could become a takeover target in the biotech sector, with acquisition offers potentially reaching three times its current $4 billion market cap, reflecting high market expectations for its future.
- Investment Risks and Opportunities: Viking's stock presents a binary risk; the success or failure of VK2735 will directly impact its share price, and while the risks are considerable, the potential rewards are equally significant, necessitating careful position sizing by investors to manage possible volatility.
See More
- Market Performance: Despite leading the weight-loss medicine market, Eli Lilly's shares have fallen 15% this year, raising concerns about intensified competition in its core niche that could erode pricing power and profits.
- Margin Improvement: Since 2020, Eli Lilly's gross and operating margins have significantly improved, with Q4 2025 margins surpassing those of peers, indicating that sales are growing much faster than expenses, reflecting enhanced manufacturing efficiency.
- Manufacturing Capacity Investment: Eli Lilly has invested $55 billion since 2020 to expand its manufacturing capacity, which may hurt profits and margins in the short term but is expected to lower costs and boost capacity, driving significant economies of scale in the long run.
- Artificial Intelligence Initiatives: Eli Lilly has built the largest supercomputer in the pharmaceutical industry with Nvidia's help, aiming to accelerate drug discovery and clinical trial design, with even a 5% reduction in time and costs potentially having a positive impact across the business.
See More











