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☆ Blockbuster weight loss drug Wegovy's sales just doubled — and could heat up even more with a price cut
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-03 | by ( Shubhangi Goel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Read previewDanish drugmaker Novo Nordisk will lower prices of its weight loss drug Wegovy as it plans to raise sales volumes and navigate tough competition. Prices for the blockbuster drug fell in the first quarter. Sales of Wegovy more than doubled in the first quarter year-on-year, to 9.4 billion Danish crowns, or $1.3 billion, according to the company's earnings. They did not specify how much Novo plans to cut Wegovy's prices. AdvertisementThe Danish pharmaceutical maker, which also produces viral weight loss drug Ozempic, reported better-than-expected sales of 65 billion Danish crowns, or $9.4 billion, in the first quarter.

Persons: —, Karsten Munk Knudsen, Knudsen, Lars Fruergaard Jorgensen, Ozempic, Eli Lilly, Wegovy, Bernie Sanders, Goldman Sachs, Oprah Winfrey, Elon Musk, Charles Barkley Organizations: Service, Nordisk, Business Locations: Danish, Novo

☆ Senate launches investigation into high prices of Ozempic and Wegovy in the U.S.
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-24 | by ( Ryan Anastasio | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The U.S. Senate has launched an investigation into the high price of Novo Nordisk 's popular weight loss and diabetes drugs Ozempic and Wegovy in the United States. "As important as these drugs are, they will not do any good for the millions of patients who cannot afford them," wrote Sanders. Wegovy, which is even more expensive than Ozempic, is subject to similarly disparate pricing overseas, wrote Sanders. The powerful progressive senator also made a simple request of the drug company CEO: "Will Novo Nordisk substantially reduce both the list price and the net price of both Ozempic and Wegovy?" He gave Novo Nordisk until May 8 to answer a series of questions about the drug's pricing.

Persons: Ozempic, Danish drugmaker, Sen, Bernie Sanders, Sanders, Lars Fruergaard Jørgensen, Jørgensen Organizations: U.S . Senate, Novo Nordisk, Vermont Independent, Health, Education, Labor, Pensions, Nordisk Locations: United States, Danish, Vermont, Canada, Germany

Lars Fruergaard Jorgensen has a problem: Too many people want what he’s selling. Even if the company isn’t quite a household name, the TV jingle for its best-selling drug — “Oh-oh-ohhh, Ozempic!” — might ring in your ears. Across the United States, Novo Nordisk’s diabetes and weight-loss drugs, Ozempic and Wegovy, have soared to celebrity status and helped make the company Europe’s most valuable public firm. Last year, when the company was celebrating its centenary, Novo Nordisk’s revenue jumped by a third, to 232 billion Danish kroner, or $33 billion. “Nobody forecast a 100-year-old company would grow more than 30 percent,” he said, seemingly torn between pride and amazement.

Persons: Lars Fruergaard Jorgensen, Jorgensen, ” Mr, ”, Wegovy Organizations: Novo Nordisk, Novo Nordisk’s, Nordisk Locations: Danish, United States, Copenhagen

☆ Novo Nordisk's $1,000 diabetes drug Ozempic can be made for less than $5 a month, study suggests
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-27 | by ( Annika Kim Constantino | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The blockbuster diabetes drug Ozempic could be manufactured for less than $5 a month, even as Novo Nordisk charges close to $1,000 per month for the injection in the U.S. before insurance, a study released Wednesday suggests. The study also comes after years of political pressure on Novo Nordisk and other drugmakers to slash high costs of diabetes care, especially insulin. Ozempic can generally be produced for less than various forms of insulin, according to the study published in JAMA Network Open. Novo Nordisk's list price for a monthly package of Ozempic is $935.77 before insurance and other rebates. In a statement on Wednesday, Novo Nordisk declined to provide production costs for Ozempic and its weight loss drug counterpart Wegovy.

Organizations: Nordisk, Yale University, King's College Hospital, Novo Nordisk, JAMA, Ozempic, University of Liverpool Locations: U.S, London

☆ Novo Nordisk's Wegovy wins FDA approval for cutting heart disease risks, in move that could expand insurance coverage
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-08 | by ( Annika Kim Constantino | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Injection pens of Novo Nordisk's weight-loss drug Wegovy are shown in this photo illustration in Oslo, Norway, Nov. 21, 2023. The approval also demonstrates that weight loss drugs have significant health benefits beyond shedding unwanted pounds and regulating blood sugar. The FDA said Wegovy patients should use Wegovy in addition to a reduced calorie diet and increased physical activity. Novo Nordisk expects to receive a similar Wegovy approval in the EU this year. The study tested Wegovy in roughly 17,500 people with obesity and heart disease but who did not have diabetes.

Persons: John Sharretts, Ozempic, Wegovy, Eli Lilly, Zepbound Organizations: Drug Administration, Novo Nordisk, Diabetes, FDA's Center, Drug, Research, FDA, Nordisk Locations: Oslo, Norway, Danish, U.S

☆ Novo Nordisk CEO says experimental weight loss pill could become a best-in-class drug
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-08 | by ( Annika Kim Constantino | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Novo Nordisk CEO Lars Fruergaard Jørgensen on Friday said the company's experimental weight loss pill, amycretin, could eventually become a best-in-class treatment for obesity. His remarks came one day after Novo Nordisk impressed investors with early-stage trial data on amycretin. Patients on the pill lost about 13.1% of their weight after 12 weeks, Jørgensen said on CNBC's "Money Movers." That surpasses the 6% weight loss seen in those who took Wegovy after the same time period. It also adds to the growing enthusiasm around the potential of weight loss pills.

Persons: Lars Fruergaard Jørgensen, Jørgensen Organizations: Novo Nordisk Locations: Danish

☆ Meet the ‘Granolas,’ Europe’s answer to the Magnificent 7 stocks
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-27 | by ( Anna Cooban | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

London CNN —The Magnificent 7 tech stocks have been a big part of the extraordinary US market rally. But there’s a rival group of companies powering European stocks to new heights with even better returns, by some measures. Dubbed the “Granolas,” those 11 companies accounted for 60% of the gains on Europe’s benchmark stock index over the past 12 months. They have even slightly outperformed the Magnificent 7 over a longer period, according to Goldman Sachs. Their standout performance has “raised the issue of concentration effects” in the region’s stock market, says Philip Lawlor, managing director of markets research at Wilshire Indexes.

Persons: London CNN —, Goldman Sachs, ASML, ” Goldman Sachs, Goldman Sachs, Guillaume Jaisson, Ozempic, ‘, Philip Lawlor, ” Lawlor Organizations: London CNN, GSK, Roche, Novartis, Novo Nordisk, L’Oréal, AstraZeneca, SAP, Sanofi, “, CNN, Danish, Wilshire Indexes, —, Deutsche Bank Locations: LVMH, Europe, France, Germany, Denmark, Switzerland, Netherlands, United Kingdom, United States

☆ Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly rival soars 32% after promising weight-loss drug results
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-26 | by ( Jenni Reid | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Vials move along a conveyor at the Novo Nordisk A/S production facilities in Hillerod, Denmark, on Monday, June 12, 2023. Shares of Denmark's Zealand Pharma rocketed higher, after the company posted strong results from a trial of a liver disease treatment that has been touted as a potential competitor in the booming weight-loss drug market. The drug has "demonstrated efficacy" in people with obesity and is currently undergoing five Phase-3 trials in a clinical program for people who are overweight or obese. Analysts latched onto the drug's possible efficacity in obesity research following the latest test results, which indicated the safety of the top dosage used in that trial. Several other firms, including Eli Lilly, Roche and AstraZeneca, also seek to compete in the sector.

Persons: Ozempic, Eli Lilly, Roche Organizations: Novo Nordisk, pharma, Denmark's Zealand Pharma, U.S . Food, Drug Administration, Zealand Pharma, Nordisk, AstraZeneca Locations: Hillerod, Denmark, U.S, London, Danish

☆ These are the only 2 ETFs that made money every year for the past decade
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-19 | by ( Ganesh Rao | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Two funds investing in defensive stocks are the only exchange-traded funds in the world that had a positive return every year over the past decade, CNBC Pro research has found. The two funds stood out among 8,300 equity ETFs worldwide screened by CNBC Pro using FactSet data. Over that period, the ETF more than doubled investors' money, with a cumulative total price gain of 118%. While the MSCI Healthcare index, valued in euros, dipped slightly into negative territory in 2016, 2020 and 2022, the Amundi ETF's total returns have remained positive because of the weakness in the pound sterling. However, Tabet also pointed out that the health-care sector, especially European pharma, tends to underperform in election years.

Persons: Joakim Tabet, Kepler, Tabet, Vincent Denoiseux, David Evans, Evans, Kepler Cheuvreux Organizations: CNBC, Healthcare UCITS, London Stock Exchange, TSX, Consumer Staples, CNBC Pro, Outlook Novo Nordisk, Novo Nordisk's, pharma, European pharma Locations: Canadian, Europe, Danish, Novo, U.S

Still, Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk appear to be making some encouraging progress. Eli Lilly wasn't the only weight loss drug producer to see positive supply developments in the last week. Novo Holdings, which owns almost 77% of the voting shares in Novo Nordisk, said Monday it will acquire drug manufacturer Catalent in a $16.5 billion deal. Novo Nordisk will then buy three of Catalent's manufacturing plants from Novo Holdings for $11 billion. Tema in November launched an ETF whose key holdings include companies benefiting from the hype around weight loss drugs.

Persons: Eli Lilly, Anat Ashkenazi, Incretin, Eli Lilly's, Ashkenazi, Eli Lilly wasn't, Yuri Khodjamirian, Danish drugmaker Organizations: Novo Nordisk, Holdings, Wegovy, Novo Holdings, CNBC, Tema, Nordisk, Reuters Locations: North Carolina, Novo, Tema, Brussels, Danish, U.S

☆ Novo Nordisk parent to buy Catalent for $16.5 billion to expand Wegovy supply
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-05 | by ( Annika Kim Constantino | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Novo Nordisk will then buy three of Catalent's manufacturing sites from Novo Holdings for $11 billion. Novo Holdings owns almost 77% of the voting shares in Novo Nordisk. Novo Nordisk and Novo Holdings said they expect the acquisition of the plants and the broader deal to buy Catalent to close at the end of 2024. Novo Nordisk added that it expects its purchase to gradually help increase its filling capacity beginning in 2026. Under the terms of the deal, Novo Holdings will buy Catalent for $63.50 a share in cash, a premium of 16.5% to Catalent's closing price on Friday.

Persons: Catalent, Eli Lilly Organizations: Nordisk, Novo Holdings, Novo Nordisk's Wegovy, Novo Nordisk, Novo, Elliott Investment Management, U.S ., Reuters, CNBC PRO Locations: Novo, Italy, Belgium, Bloomington , Indiana, Denmark, France, U.S, Brussels

☆ Here are Jim Cramer's rapid-fire takes on 5 stocks in the news Monday
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-05 | by ( Paulina Likos | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Jim Cramer said this deal is Novo's way to "get more product" and addresses the "tremendous shortage" of these high-demand drugs. Shares of Eli Lilly , a stock in the CNBC Investing Club 's portfolio, were also up more than 4% ahead of Tuesday's earnings. Snap – The social media firm laid off 10% of its workforce ahead of Tuesday's earnings. Jim pointed out that Club name Starbucks (SBUX) has also been experiencing the same thing. Jim said buy McDonald's stock on weakness.

Persons: Jim Cramer, Eli Lilly, Lilly, Cramer, Cigna –, Cantor Fitzgerald, Jim Organizations: Nordisk, Catalent, CNBC, Microsoft, RBC Capital, Humana, Starbucks, Mattel –, JPMorgan, Vision, Apple Locations: Danish, Israel

☆ Norway's giant wealth fund touts possibility of Novo Nordisk, Eli Lilly joining the trillion-dollar club
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-31 | by ( Sam Meredith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

A pharmacist displays boxes of Ozempic, a semaglutide injection drug used for treating type 2 diabetes made by Novo Nordisk, at Rock Canyon Pharmacy in Provo, Utah, U.S. March 29, 2023. Norway's giant wealth fund, the world's largest, touted the possibility that Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk and U.S. rival Eli Lilly could be on course to become the first healthcare members of the trillion-dollar club. Novo Nordisk, Europe's largest firm by market capitalization, on Wednesday reported stronger-than-anticipated 2023 earnings, as sales of its hugely popular drug Wegovy continued to soar. The largest pharmaceutical company in the world by market value, Eli Lilly currently stands at roughly $612 billion. NBIM, the world's biggest single stock market investor, holds a 2.5% stake in Novo Nordisk and a 0.98% stake in Eli Lilly, according to LSEG data.

Persons: Eli Lilly, Wegovy, Gemma Game, Eli Lilly's Zepbound Organizations: Novo Nordisk, Pharmacy, Norges Bank Investment Management, Nordisk's Ozempic Locations: Provo , Utah, U.S, Danish, Europe's

☆ Maker of Wegovy, Ozempic showers money on U.S. obesity doctors
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +23 min

Novo spent at least $25.8 million over the past decade on U.S. medical professionals to promote its two obesity drugs, Wegovy and Saxenda, the analysis found. Jastreboff has also worked on clinical trials of obesity drugs for Eli Lilly, which markets a Wegovy competitor. Some doctors said Novo’s payments exemplify how the flood of industry money can dominate decision-making about care and coverage. Government pharmacy officer Solaru said her agency concluded that the new obesity drugs could be cost-effective by preventing other weight-related diseases and boosting workplace productivity. In January, the personnel office told its health plans they must cover at least one GLP-1 obesity drug for 8 million workers, retirees and family members.

Persons: Lee Kaplan, Kaplan, ”, gastroenterologist, He’s, Novo, Donna Ryan, Ryan, “, ” Kaplan, ” Novo, Robert Lustig, “ I’m, Lustig, They’re, Ania, ” Jastreboff, Jastreboff, Eli Lilly, Lilly’s Zepbound, Lilly, ” Lilly, Novo’s, Ayana, Sanders, Arthur Kellermann, ” Kellermann, mouthpieces, ’ ”, “ I'm, Jamy Ard, Ard, Dele, ” Solaru, ” Ryan, Scott Kahan, Kahan, Solaru, Christine Gallagher, Wegovy, Rebekah Carl, Carl, Jen Wexler, gaunt, Wexler Organizations: Novo Nordisk, Dartmouth, Nutrition Institute, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Reuters, Cambridge, Obesity Society, U.S ., Management, Reuters . Pharmaceutical, ”, U.S, United, National Health Service, University of California, U.S . Food, Drug Administration, Doctors, Wegovy’s, BMI, Yale University’s Center, Weight Management, Wall Street, American Medical Association, Rutgers University’s School of Public Health, Affordable, . Pharmaceutical, Companies, Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences, Wake Forest University, Wake Forest Baptist Health Weight Management, Obesity, Pennington Biomedical Research, U.S . National Institutes of Health, Personnel Management, Coalition, STOP, George Washington University, Novo Locations: CAMBRIDGE, Massachusetts, Boston, U.S, Novo, Danish, United States, Louisiana, San Francisco, Wegovy, Pennington, Baton Rouge , Louisiana, Government, New Columbia , Pennsylvania, Florida

☆ US obesity docs expect Lilly weight-loss drug to show similar heart benefit as Wegovy
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( Patrick Wingrove | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

REUTERS/Mike Segar Acquire Licensing RightsDec 1 (Reuters) - Some leading U.S. obesity specialists say they expect Eli Lilly’s (LLY.N) powerful weight-loss drug Zepbound will produce the same or similar heart benefits as Novo Nordisk’s (NOVOb.CO) popular Wegovy as they belong to the same class of medicines. In Novo's pivotal Wegovy trial involving 17,604 overweight and obese people without diabetes, the drug reduced incidence of heart attack, stroke or heart-related death by an impressive 20%. The product, which has the same active ingredient - tirzepatide - as its previously approved diabetes drug Mounjaro, is expected to start shipping it before the end of the year. They said they would readily prescribe Wegovy (semaglutide) if their patients' insurance did not cover Lilly’s drug, or if future trial results do not produce similar heart benefits. Lilly declined to comment on doctors' views that Zepbound might have the same or similar cardiovascular benefits as Wegovy.

Persons: Eli Lilly, Mike Segar, Eli Lilly’s, Lilly, Danish drugmaker, Edmond Wickham, Emily, Zepbound, Tirzepatide, ”, Rohit Kedia, Novo, Chad Weldy, semaglutide, tirzepatide, Farxiga, Boehringer Ingelheim, Lilly’s Jardiance, Patrick Wingrove, Caroline Humer, Bill Berkrot Organizations: Company, REUTERS, Novo, Wegovy, Virginia Commonwealth University . The, Virginia Commonwealth University . The U.S . Food, Drug Administration, Wall Street, Barclays, Providence, Stanford University, Thomson Locations: Branchburg , New Jersey, Danish, Virginia Commonwealth University . The U.S, Zepbound, U.S

☆ Novo Nordisk finds compounded Wegovy up to 33% impure, sues Florida pharmacies
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Patrick Wingrove | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] Injection pens of Novo Nordisk's weight-loss drug Wegovy are shown in this photo illustration in Oslo, Norway, November 21, 2023. The Danish drugmaker said it found impurities in all the drugs tested from Wells Pharmacy and Brooksville Pharmaceuticals, both based in Florida. Novo said the compounded versions of Wegovy tested from Brooksville were also less potent than advertised, with one sample shown to be at least 19% weaker than indicated. The drugmaker has already filed 12 lawsuits against medical spas, weight-loss clinics and compounding pharmacies offering products that claim to contain semaglutide. The case against Wells was filed in the U.S. District Court, Middle District of Florida, Ocala division and the suit against Brooksville in U.S. District Court, Middle District of Florida, Tampa division.

Persons: Victoria Klesty, Danish drugmaker, Novo, Brooksville, ” Jason Brett, Eli Lilly, Mounjaro, Wells, Patrick Wingrove, Josephine Mason, Bill Berkrot, Jane Merriman Organizations: REUTERS, Novo Nordisk, Wells Pharmacy, Brooksville Pharmaceuticals, U.S . Food, Drug Administration, FDA, Novo's, Middle District of, Brooksville, Thomson Locations: Oslo, Norway, Victoria, Danish, Florida, Wells, U.S, Middle District, Middle District of Florida, Ocala, Tampa

☆ Novo Nordisk sues two pharmacies for allegedly selling tainted Wegovy, Ozempic knockoffs
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Annika Kim Constantino | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Compounding pharmacies prepare custom-made versions of commercially available treatments to meet the specific needs of a patient. Novo Nordisk first sued Brooksville Pharmaceuticals over copycat versions of Wegovy and Ozempic in July. Including the newest lawsuits, Novo Nordisk has filed 12 legal actions against compounding pharmacies, medical spas and weight loss clinics allegedly selling dupes of Wegovy and Ozempic. That puts patients "at risk of taking drug products that are less effective than expected based on their labeling," according to Novo Nordisk. Several states have also threatened to take legal action against compounding pharmacies that make or distribute unapproved variations of Novo Nordisk's weight loss treatments.

Persons: Eli Lilly, Jason Brett, Novo Organizations: Novo Nordisk, Wells Pharmacy Network, Brooksville Pharmaceuticals, Nordisk, Wells Pharmacy, Novo, U.S . Food, Drug Administration, FDA, CNBC PRO Locations: Oslo, Norway, Florida, U.S, Danish, Ozempic

☆ Macron to unveil 2.1 bln eur Novo Nordisk pharma investment in France
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The logo of Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk in their offices in Hillerod, Denmark, September 26, 2023. REUTERS/Tom Little Acquire Licensing RightsPARIS, Nov 23 (Reuters) - French President Emmanuel Macron will on Thursday inaugurate a 2.1 billion euro ($2.3 billion) investment by Danish pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk (NOVOb.CO) in France, his office said, pitching it as a sign of newly restored French industrial competitiveness. The investment, for which no detail was provided by Macron's office, will be based in Chartres, west of Paris, where Novo already employs nearly 2,000 people. The Elysee palace deemed it the most significant investment in the health sector of Macron's mandates so far and said it would create 500 jobs. ($1 = 0.9168 euros)Reporting by Michel Rose, Editing by Dominique VidalonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Tom Little, Emmanuel Macron, Michel Rose, Dominique Vidalon Organizations: Novo Nordisk, REUTERS, Rights, Thomson Locations: Danish, Hillerod, Denmark, France, Chartres, Paris

Injection pens and boxes of Novo Nordisk's weight-loss drug Wegovy are shown in this photo illustration in Oslo, Norway, November 21, 2023. REUTERS/Victoria Klesty/Illustration Acquire Licensing RightsSummaryCompanies Novo racing to meet demand for obesity drugsObesity market to reach $100 billion by 2030-analystsNew investment in France will boost capacity for obesity, diabetes drugsPARIS/LONDON Nov 23 (Reuters) - Novo Nordisk (NOVOb.CO) on Thursday announced a $2.3 billion investment to boost production of its wildly popular weight-loss and diabetes drugs at a site in Chartres, France as it races to meet soaring demand. There is a growing crisis in Europe over supply of diabetes therapy Ozempic, which uses the same ingredient semaglutide as the hugely popular weight-loss drug Wegovy, which is not yet widely available in Europe. Thursday's announcement comes after Novo earlier this month announced a $6 billion investment in its native Denmark to boost production. Analysts have estimated the obesity drug market will be worth as much as $100 billion by 2030.

Persons: Victoria Klesty, Danish drugmaker, Emmanuel Macron, Lars Fruergaard Jorgensen, Eli Lilly, Novo, Anna Ringstrom, Ludwig Burger, Terje Solsvik, David Goodman, Emelia Organizations: REUTERS, Novo Nordisk, WIN, French, Thomson Locations: Oslo, Norway, Victoria, France, PARIS, Chartres, Danish, Europe, Union, Germany, Belgium, Denmark, U.S, Paris

Handout via REUTERS/File photo Acquire Licensing RightsSummaryCompanies Ozempic shortages expected throughout 2024Victoza shortages expected until at least Q2 2024Diabetes drug Ozempic used 'off label' to treat obesityNov 21 (Reuters) - Novo Nordisk (NOVOb.CO) will ration starter kits of Ozempic in Europe and reduce supplies of another diabetes drug, Victoza, to prioritise producing Ozempic, which has seen a surge in demand from people using it to lose weight. Ozempic contains semaglutide, an ingredient in Novo's hugely popular anti-obesity drug Wegovy. Intermittent Ozempic shortages are expected throughout 2024, while Victoza shortages are expected at least until the second quarter of 2024, according to the statement on the EMA's website. "No new patients should be started on Victoza until at least Q2 2024 when supply is expected to normalise," Novo urged doctors in the document. It also told doctors to consider other injectable GLP-1 drugs or "other suitable alternatives" where Ozempic or Victoza are not available for patients.

Persons: Ozempic, hasn't, Novo, Eli Lilly's, tirzepatide, Ludwig Burger, Eva Mathews, Emelia Sithole, Mark Potter Organizations: Handout, REUTERS, Diabetes, Novo Nordisk, European Medicines Agency, EU, Thomson Locations: Novo, London, Britain, Europe, Danish, United States, France, Austria, Belgium, Germany, Wegovy, Norway, Denmark, EU

Analysts attended earnings calls in the third quarter armed with questions for healthcare and consumer companies about the potential effect on their sales from the growing popularity of these drugs, known as GLP-1 agonists. A Reuters analysis of earnings transcripts for the third quarter showed "GLP-1" or alternatives like "obesity" or "weight-loss medications" were mentioned 256 times across 29 U.S. and European healthcare and consumer companies. That's more than double the mentions for the second quarter, when those phrases came up 127 times. While some consumer companies have talked about factors such as fewer calories being consumed, "these kind of large extrapolations" seem to be a bit of a stretch, said BMO Capital analyst Evan Seigerman. For big pharma manufacturers like Pfizer (PFE.N) and Amgen (AMGN.O), analyst questions were aimed at their obesity drug candidates.

Persons: Lilly, George Frey, Jeff Jonas, it's, Eli Lilly's, John Furner, Mondelez, Eli Lilly, Evan Seigerman, LVMH, Rajesh Kumar, Jonas, Bhanvi Satija, Savyata Mishra, Arpan Varghese, David Gaffen, Shounak Organizations: Novo Nordisk, Pharmacy, REUTERS, Gabelli, Novo, Walmart, Walmart U.S, Hershey, Truist Securities, Krispy, BMO Capital, Danish, pharma, Pfizer, Devices, HSBC, Thomson Locations: Provo , Utah, U.S, United States, Novo, Bengaluru

☆ Morning Bid: Frail yen teeters as US CPI looms
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Economists polled by Reuters expect headline U.S. consumer price inflation to slow to 3.3% in October from 3.7% in September, with the core inflation rate that strips out volatile components seen unchanged from September at 4.1%. If the battered currency breaks through last year's trough of 151.94, it would mark a 33-year low. In the corporate world, investors will keep an eye on Europe's most valuable company, Novo Nordisk (NOVOb.CO). Shares of the Danish drugmaker rose on Monday after data showed that the heart-protective benefits of its popular obesity drug Wegovy are not solely due to weight loss. Key developments that could influence markets on Tuesday:Economic events: UK average weekly earnings for September, Euro Zone Q3 flash GDP, Euro Zone employment flash Q3Reporting by Ankur Banerjee; Editing by Edmund KlamannOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Ankur Banerjee, David Cameron's, Jerome Powell, Shunichi Suzuki, Edmund Klamann Organizations: U.S, Japan, Ankur, Reuters, Federal Reserve, Japanese Finance, Novo Nordisk, Walmart, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan, Britain, Danish

☆ Novo Nordisk shares rise as Wegovy shows heart benefits beyond weight loss
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-13 | by ( Maggie Fick | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

LONDON, Nov 13 (Reuters) - Novo Nordisk (NOVOb.CO) shares rose 3% on Monday as the market reacted to data the drugmaker presented over the weekend showing that the heart protective benefits of its popular obesity drug Wegovy are not solely due to weight loss. Wegovy is part of a class of drugs that mimic a gut hormone that helps regulate blood sugar and appetite. U.S. companies across sectors such as food and beverage makers have addressed investor concerns on the potential impact to their businesses from the growing popularity of the promising weight-loss drugs. Novo was first to market with its highly effective weight loss drugs. At the close of markets on Friday, Novo's shares were up 47.5% this year.

Persons: Markus Manns, Jefferies, Wegovy, Novo, Eli Lilly's, Lilly, Novo's, Maggie Fick, Boleslaw Lasocki, Medha Singh, Louise Heavens Organizations: Novo Nordisk, Novo, Union Investment, Reuters, Pfizer, Jefferies, U.S, Thomson Locations: United, Germany, Novo, U.S, Bengaluru

☆ Novo Nordisk says Wegovy heart benefits due to more than weight loss
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-11 | by ( Patrick Wingrove | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

A 0.25 mg injection pen of Novo Nordisk's weight-loss drug Wegovy is shown in this photo illustration in Oslo, Norway, September 1, 2023. REUTERS/Victoria Klesty/Illustration/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsPHILADELPHIA, Nov 11 (Reuters) - Novo Nordisk (NOVOb.CO) on Saturday said the heart protective benefits of its wildly popular Wegovy obesity treatment are due to more than weight loss alone, according to new data presented at a major medical meeting on Saturday. Given that patients had not started losing weight when the cardiovascular benefits first appeared suggests the heart protection was not purely the result of weight loss, Novo said. Though the trial was not conducted to test weight loss, participants lost an average of nearly 10% of their total body weight. Novo said patients in the heart study were not required to track diet and exercise as they are in obesity trials.

Persons: Victoria Klesty, Wegovy, Novo, Martin Lange, Lange, Eli Lilly's, Patrick Wingrove, Bill Berkrot Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Novo Nordisk, American Heart Association, New England, of Medicine, Novo Nordisk's, U.S . Food, Drug Administration, Thomson Locations: Oslo, Norway, Victoria, Philadelphia, U.S, EU

The company's research and development (R&D) engine is intact and therefore it is unlikely to do transformative deals soon, Jorgensen said. It was the latest in a series of similarly-sized deals the company has done this year. Last week, when reporting quarterly earnings, it forecast another year of double-digit sales growth for its two most popular drugs: weight-loss drug Wegovy and diabetes Ozempic. To keep up with demand, Novo is racing to increase production of those drugs, which contain the same active pharmaceutical ingredient, semaglutide, and are delivered in self-injection pens. A healthcare banker, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Reuters after the interview there were many companies in the cardiometabolic space with early-stage drugs that Novo Nordisk may be able to buy.

Persons: Lars Fruergaard Jorgensen, Wegovy, Jorgensen, Novo, Novo's, Jacob Gronholt, Maggie Fick, Terje Solsvik, Emelia, Barbara Lewis Organizations: Novo, Novo Nordisk, Reuters, KBP Biosciences, Nordisk, Pedersen, Thomson Locations: Novo, COPENHAGEN, Singapore, Copenhagen, London

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