What should I know about Novo Nordisk?
Novo Nordisk is a Danish pharmaceutical company, headquartered in Bagsværd, that specialises in diabetes and obesity treatments. Its portfolio includes the semaglutide medicines Ozempic and Wegovy, insulin, growth hormone therapy and haemophilia products. It traces its origins to two insulin companies set up in the 1920s that merged in 1989. The Novo Nordisk Foundation's holding company, Novo Holdings, owns 28.1% of the shares but controls 77.1% of the votes. In the first half of 2026 the company reported net sales of DKK 175.3 billion, up 13% in Danish kroner.
What are Novo Nordisk’s main drugs?
Novo Nordisk's best-known products are Ozempic (type 2 diabetes) and Wegovy (obesity), both based on semaglutide. In 2026 its newest growth driver has been the Wegovy pill: the company says there have been more than 5 million US prescriptions since launch, with over 265,000 a week by mid-July. A higher 7.2 mg dose of Wegovy has also been approved, with an EU rollout planned for the second half of 2026. Novo Nordisk also sells insulin, growth hormone and medicines for bleeding disorders. It lost its diabetes and obesity lead to Eli Lilly's Mounjaro in 2025.
What is Novo Nordisk currently developing?
Novo Nordisk's pipeline centres on obesity and cardiometabolic disease, though it has had setbacks. In its first-half 2026 report, the company said the ZEUS Phase 3 trial of ziltivekimab, a heart disease drug, did not meet its primary endpoint. Its near-term focus is expanding the Wegovy pill and higher-dose Wegovy, which received approvals in 2026. The company has raised its sales forecast on the back of stronger-than-expected GLP-1 demand, but still expects adjusted sales and operating profit to change by between 0% and a 6% fall at constant exchange rates in 2026.
Have there been any controversies involving Novo Nordisk?
Novo Nordisk had a difficult 2025. On 11 September it announced 9,000 job cuts, including 5,000 in Denmark, alongside its third profit warning of the year. The shares had fallen almost 46% since the start of the year, and a July warning coincided with the appointment of a new chief executive, Mike Doustdar. In October 2025 a disagreement with its controlling shareholder led the board to call a meeting to replace more than half of its members, including the chair.
Is Novo Nordisk publicly traded, and how big is it?
Yes. Novo Nordisk shares trade on Nasdaq Copenhagen (NOVO B), and its American depositary receipts trade on the New York Stock Exchange (NVO). Its market value was about $126 billion on 5 October 2026, down from about $287 billion at the end of 2024 and from a peak of about $650 billion, according to reporting on its 2025 job cuts. In the first half of 2026 it reported net sales of DKK 175.3 billion. Adjusted net sales, which exclude one-off items, fell 2% in Danish kroner.