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☆ How Ozempic Is Transforming a Small Danish Town
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-20 | by ( Eshe Nelson | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

As the sun sets over the harbor in Kalundborg, a small town about 60 miles west of Copenhagen, light streams through the glass walls of Shaun Gamble’s cafe and bathes his afternoon customers in a warm glow. Nearby, at a sprawling manufacturing plant, Novo Nordisk makes nearly all of its semaglutide, the active ingredient in the company’s wildly popular diabetes and obesity treatments Ozempic and Wegovy. It’s the largest manufacturing investment in Denmark by a company, and it’s happening in this town of fewer than 17,000 people. Novo Nordisk plans to add 1,250 jobs to the existing 4,500 employees at the Kalundborg plant. A highway is being extended; investors are snapping up houses and planning new construction; universities have begun offering biotech courses to feed Novo Nordisk and nearby businesses with workers.

Persons: Shaun Gamble’s Organizations: Novo Nordisk, Nordisk Locations: Kalundborg, Copenhagen, Denmark, Novo

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 stock: The company behind Ozempic and Wegovy is now bigger than Tesla
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-08 | by ( Anna Cooban | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

London CNN —First, Novo Nordisk, the company behind Ozempic and Wegovy, outgrew its native Denmark. Investors rushed into Novo Nordisk’s stock after the company reported early-stage results from a trial of amycretin, an experimental weight loss drug that can be taken in pill form. Novo Nordisk, once the little-known maker of diabetes drug Ozempic, has ballooned in value as the drug’s off-label use for weight loss has spread. By contrast, shares of Novo Nordisk are up by 30% this year, and by nearly 80% over the past 12 months. The companies have cornered the global market for weight loss drugs that mimic GLP-1, a naturally-occurring hormone that suppresses appetite.

Persons: Grégoire, ”, Jens Naervig Pedersen, “, Tesla, Elon Musk’s Tesla, China’s, Eli Lilly, “ Novo, Lilly, It’s, Musk, Jeff Bezos Organizations: London CNN, Novo Nordisk, Pictet, Management, CNN, US Food and Drug Administration, Nordisk “, Danske Bank, EV, Reuters, “, Amazon, Bloomberg Locations: Novo, Denmark, Novo Nordisk’s, Danish, United States, Berlin, Germany, Europe, Pictet, EVs

☆ Weight-loss drug Wegovy can be marketed for heart benefits after FDA label update
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-08 | by ( Meg Tirrell | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

The label expansion may improve insurance coverage for Wegovy, which costs more than $1,300 per month out of pocket before any discounts. Many insurers, including Medicare, don’t cover drugs for weight loss, leaving patients scrambling to afford them. “This patient population has a higher risk of cardiovascular death, heart attack and stroke,” he added. More studies need to be done to show whether there are heart benefits for people who haven’t had a cardiac event. Wegovy continues to be in shortage, along with other GLP-1 medicines, as drugmakers struggle to keep up with demand.

Persons: CNN — Wegovy’s, –, Dr, Harlan Krumholz, hasn’t, Eli Lilly, Wegovy, John Sharretts, haven’t, it’s, Sanjay Gupta, Jody Dushay, Beth, Dushay, Novo, Doug Langa, ” Organizations: CNN, US Food and Drug Administration, Yale University, Yale New Haven Hospital, Novo Nordisk, Diabetes, ”, CNN Health, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Novo Nordisk’s, North America Operations

☆ Ozempic, Mounjaro and hundreds of other drugs become even more expensive in 2024
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-15 | by ( Tami Luhby | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Novo Nordisk boosted the list price of Ozempic by 3.5% to $969 for a four-week supply. Eli Lilly last month raised the list price of Mounjaro by 4.5% to $1,069 for a four-week supply. However, they may have to pay the list price if they are uninsured or have not yet hit their annual deductible. Former President Donald Trump, who is running for election again, also unveiled several proposals and issued executive orders aimed at lowering drug costs during his administration. Another factor is the recent policies that penalize pharmaceutical manufacturers for raising list prices faster than inflation.

Persons: Drugmakers, Eli Lilly, Eli Lilly’s Zepbound, Ozempic, Eli Lily, Marlene Foss, Foss, “, ”, Mark Rapp, Rapp, ’ ”, Mark Rapp's, grandkids, ” Rapp, Joe Biden’s, Donald Trump, We’ve, Antonio Ciaccia, we’ve Organizations: New, New York CNN, Ozempic, Novo Nordisk, CNN, Food and Drug Administration, Nordisk’s, Mounjaro, Medicare, ”, White House Locations: New York, Portugal, Doylestown , Pennsylvania, Italy, Mansfield , Ohio, Ohio, Idaho

☆ Roche’s late obesity punt offers wider market cure
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Dec 4 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Roche’s (ROG.S) foray into the prospective $100 billion obesity market can bring wider benefits. On Monday, the $224 billion Swiss pharma group said it had agreed to take over weight-loss drug developer Carmot Therapeutics for $2.7 billion. Market leader Novo Nordisk (NOVOb.CO) is already selling obesity drugs in the U.S. and parts of Europe. Still, Schinecker’s obesity bet could turn successful if it ends up undercutting obesity pioneers on prices. With over 1 billion people globally classed as seriously overweight, other drugmakers will follow Roche on the obesity bandwagon.

Persons: drugmaker Roche, Arnd, Eli Lilly’s, Thomas Schinecker, Eli Lilly, Eccogene, Roche, Aimee Donnellan, Neiman Marcus, Lisa Jucca, Oliver Taslic Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, Swiss pharma, Carmot Therapeutics, Novo Nordisk, U.S . Food, Drug Administration, AstraZeneca, Novo, X, Saks, Thomson Locations: Basel, Switzerland, U.S, Europe, Hong Kong

☆ 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

☆ Suspected fake Ozempic causes hypoglycemia in 11 in Lebanon
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( Patrick Wingrove | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Three of the people who took the suspected fake Ozempic did so to control their diabetes, while four took it for weight management, Karam said. People with diabetes need to closely manage their blood sugar, which can be done with a variety of medicines including Ozempic. Lebanon's Ministry of Public Health issued two recalls related to Ozempic in January 2023, according to its website. Karam said Ozempic is neither purchased nor provided by the Ministry of Public Health. Several people have been hospitalized in Austria for hypoglycemia after taking potentially fake versions of Ozempic.

Persons: Rita Karam, Eli Lilly's, Novo's, Karam, Ozempic, Patrick Wingrove, Caroline Humer, Bill Berkrot Organizations: Lebanese Ministry of Public Health, Lebanon's Ministry of Public Health, Novo Nordisk, World Obesity, Obesity, International Diabetes Federation, Ministry of Public Health, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Lebanon, Germany, Egypt, Russia, United States, Novo, Britain, Belgium, Austria

☆ Branding’s corporate titans face moment of truth
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( Aimee Donnellan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

Now for the first time this century, sales volumes at the big consumer goods manufacturers are falling. In the first nine months of the year, Kraft Heinz said the quantity of its sold items declined by nearly 6 percentage points year-on-year. That’s likely to allow Nestlé, Kraft Heinz and Unilever to see flat or modest increases in 2023 sales, LSEG data shows. Earlier this year, outgoing Kraft Heinz Chief Executive Miguel Patricio said the company lost market share to a branded competitor that spent more. Unilever, Nestlé and Kraft Heinz have all pointed to a slowing of price growth in the coming year.

Persons: Kraft Heinz, Nestlé, ’, Xavier Roger, Kraft, what’s, John Furner, Miguel Patricio, Mars, ”, François, EY, George Hay, Streisand Neto, Thomas Shum Organizations: Reuters, Consumer, Kraft, Unilever, Danone, ’, United Nations, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Nestlé, Kraft Heinz, Target, Reuters Graphics, Obesity, Mondelez, Walmart, “, Thomson Locations: U.S, Europe, Australia, Norway, Chocolat, London

☆ Obesity Drugs Put These Stocks on a Crash Diet—Now They’re Rebounding
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( David Wainer | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Makers of medical devices were prepared for doom and gloom following a study of obesity drugs and cardiovascular health—but the bearish scenario hasn’t panned out. Photo: Catherine Ivill/Getty ImagesThere is a bit of cognitive dissonance in healthcare investing right now. After reviewing the highly anticipated results from a study of Novo Nordisk’s blockbuster obesity treatment Wegovy released over the weekend, cardiologists at a major medical meeting and the pharma crowd on Wall Street were broadly upbeat. “Today’s confirmatory results lay the groundwork for the coming paradigm shift of metabolic treatment,” gushed Evan Seigerman, an analyst at BMO Capital Markets.

Persons: Catherine Ivill, Novo, Wegovy, ” gushed Evan Seigerman Organizations: pharma, BMO Capital Markets

☆ Trial confirms heart benefits of Wegovy, but is weight loss responsible – or something else?
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-11 | by ( Meg Tirrell | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

To cardiologist Dr. Steven Nissen of the Cleveland Clinic, who wasn’t involved in the trial but is leading a similar one of tirzepatide, those effects are all evidence of the benefits of weight loss. Tirzepatide has shown greater levels of weight loss than semaglutide in clinical trials, leading many, including Nissen, to hope it will show even stronger cardiovascular benefits. Importantly, participants didn’t have a history of diabetes; a previous trial had shown that treating people with diabetes with a GLP-1 drug, Ozempic, reduced their cardiovascular risk. The Wegovy trial showed that 569 of 8,803 people taking the drug had a heart attack or stroke or died from heart-related causes, or 6.5%. The amount of weight loss seen in the trial, 9.4%, was less than in other studies of Wegovy, which showed average weight loss closer to 15%.

Persons: Ania Jastreboff, Wegovy, Dr, Amit Khera, National Institutes of Health’s Dr, Tiffany M, Powell, Wiley, Eli Lilly, Steven Nissen, wasn’t, ” Nissen, “, Tirzepatide, Nissen, Michael Lincoff, Lincoff, ”, Jastreboff, Sanjay Gupta, hadn’t, “ semaglutide Organizations: CNN, Nordisk’s Wegovy, American Heart Association, Yale Obesity Research Center, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center Dallas, National Institutes of Health’s, New England, of Medicine, US Food and Drug, Cleveland Clinic, Novo Nordisk, Cleveland, CNN Health Locations: Philadelphia, Powell

☆ How Ozempic Maker Novo Nordisk’s Very Danish Capitalism Fueled Its Success, and Its Stumbles
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-07 | by ( Sune Engel Rasmussen | Photographs Charlotte De La Fuente For The Wall Street Journal | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

BAGSVÆRD, Denmark—Every rank-and-file employee at drugmaker Novo Nordisk calls the chief executive by his first name, Lars. Hallways and offices fall silent around 5 p.m., when workers leave to pick up their children or commute home, many by bicycle. Fueled by blockbuster sales of drugs used for obesity, this very Danish company is now one of the world’s most valuable. As of Friday, the company’s market capitalization was roughly $439 billion—more than Pfizer, Lockheed Martin and Starbucks combined. In September, it overtook LVMH, the French luxury-goods firm, as Europe’s biggest company by market capitalization.

Persons: Lars, Lockheed Martin, LVMH Organizations: Denmark —, drugmaker Novo Nordisk, Pfizer, Lockheed, Starbucks, Europe’s Locations: BAGSVÆRD, Denmark, Danish

☆ Wegovy Maker Novo Nordisk’s Profit Surges on Weight-Loss-Drug Demand
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( Dominic Chopping | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Diabetes drugs could become an effective way to treat behavioral issues and addiction. WSJ’s Daniela Hernandez breaks down the science on how they work and how they could change psychiatry forever. Photo illustration: Elizabeth SmelovWegovy maker Novo Nordisk reported soaring profit, boosted by blockbuster weight-loss drugs that have quickly made the Danish drugmaker Europe’s most valuable company. Surging demand for the drugs has supercharged the company’s stock price, tilted the scales of its home economy in Denmark and triggered a frenzy on Wall Street over how the treatments and others like it might affect other industries, including snack foods and airlines.

Persons: WSJ’s Daniela Hernandez, Elizabeth Smelov Organizations: Novo Nordisk Locations: Danish, Denmark

☆ Novo Nordish and Eli Lilly cash in on blockbuster weight-loss drugs
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( Manav Tanneeru | Samantha Delouya | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New York CNN —As prescriptions for weight-loss and diabetes drugs skyrocket, so too has revenue for drugmakers Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly. On Thursday, Novo Nordisk, the Denmark-based company behind Ozempic and Wegovy, reported a 29% increase in sales to $8.4 billion for the third quarter. The pharmaceutical companies are two of the biggest beneficiaries of the recent weight-loss drug frenzy, with Novo Nordisk catapulting to Europe’s most valuable company in September. Novo Nordisk reported that its obesity care sales grew 174% in the first nine months of 2023, mainly driven by US demand. The success of Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly’s drugs has inspired other companies to dive into the prescription weight-loss business, including WeightWatchers, now known as WW International.

Persons: Eli Lilly, Mounjaro, Wegovy, Novo, –, Eli Lilly’s Organizations: New, New York CNN, drugmakers Novo Nordisk, Novo Nordisk, Novo Nordisk catapulting, International Locations: New York, Denmark, United States, Novo

Homeland Security, as well as companies that help identify counterfeit products such as Israel’s BrandShield. Fake weight-loss drugs will be a key focus in the agency’s annual counterfeit medicines report, due next year, the official said. “We have counterfeit products and stolen products,” the official said. "We will look online and if we find something that infringes (obesity drug trademarks) we'll get it taken down,” said Yoav Keren, BrandShield CEO. When a consumer buys those fakes, “what you get are expired drugs, counterfeit drugs, or nothing,” he added.

Persons: George Frey, Eli Lilly, BrandShield, Novo’s Ozempic, ”, Jim Mancuso, Mancuso, Europol, Novo, Lilly, “, Ozempic, Yoav Keren, MHRA, Eli, Mounjaro, Patrick Wingrove, Aurora Ellis Organizations: Novo Nordisk, Pharmacy, REUTERS, Novo Nordisk’s, Pharmaceutical Security Institute, drugmakers Novo Nordisk, Europol, Interpol, U.S . Homeland Security, U.S . Food, Drug Administration, U.S . Department of Homeland, Coordination Center, PSI, Medicines, Healthcare, Agency, Health Organization, Ireland’s, Products Regulatory Authority, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Provo , Utah, U.S, America, Europe, Germany, Egypt, Russia, North America

☆ Eli Lilly sues online pharmacies to ban US imports of fake Mounjaro
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-19 | by ( Patrick Wingrove | Companies Need To Integrate Climate Reporting Across Functions To Comply With California S New Law | Henry Engler | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Eli Lilly logo is shown on one of the company's offices in San Diego, California, U.S., September 17, 2020. Lilly is accusing the online pharmacies of infringing its trademark for Mounjaro, falsely associating themselves with Lilly and approved tirzepatide, and making false or misleading statements in their advertisements related to tirzepatide. “The unapproved drug products are dangerous research chemicals that are not approved for human consumption and have no connection to Eli Lilly or Mounjaro,” Lilly said in its lawsuit. Lilly is the only company with U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval to sell tirzepatide products. The suit comes exactly one month after Eli Lilly sued 10 U.S. medical spas, wellness centers and compounding pharmacies at federal courts in Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Minnesota, South Carolina and Utah for selling products claiming to contain tirzepatide.

Persons: Eli Lilly, Mike Blake, drugmaker, Britain’s Biolabshop, Audrey Beauty, Lilly, Mounjaro, ” Lilly, Patrick Wingrove, Bill Berkrot Organizations: REUTERS, U.S . International Trade Commission, Labs, Mew Mews Company, ITC, Federal Register, U.S . Food, Drug Administration, FDA, Thomson Locations: San Diego , California, U.S, Indianapolis, Poland, Arizona , Florida, Georgia, Minnesota, South Carolina, Utah, Nordisk’s

Accounts of suicidal thoughts linked to this class of drugs are drawing increasing scrutiny, including an investigation by European regulators announced in July. More than half of the narrative summaries describe suicidal thoughts appearing shortly after the person started the medicine or increased the dose. Wegovy’s U.S. prescribing label, produced with FDA approval, says suicidal thoughts or attempts have been reported in clinical trials for other weight-loss medicines. Sanofi's Acomplia, which never won U.S. approval, was withdrawn in Europe in 2008 after being linked to suicidal thoughts. She said she has not experienced any suicidal thoughts on that drug.

Persons: Dawn Heidlebaugh, Megan Jelinger, ”, Heidlebaugh, Eli Lilly, Thomas J, Moore, aren't, It’s, Novo, Dr, Erick Turner, Turner, Novo’s, drugmakers, Sanofi's, Sanofi, Contrave, John Amos, Lilly, Reuters weren’t, Lisa Wood, ” Wood, Sarah Sobol, you’re, Sobol, ’ ” Katherine, Jayson Chesnutt, Chesnutt, Robin Respaut, Chad Terhune, Maggie Fick, Ludwig Burger, Michele Gershberg, Brian Thevenot Organizations: REUTERS, Novo, U.S . Food, Drug Administration, Reuters, FDA, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Oregon Health & Science University, Novo Nordisk, U.S ., European Union, European Medicines Agency, U.S, Currax Pharmaceuticals, Vivus, Facebook, Thomson Locations: Findlay , Ohio, U.S, Ohio, Novo, Canada, Europe, Carolina, Buffalo , New York, North Carolina, Indiana

New anti-obesity drugs have the potential to transform public health, while obliterating demand for products and services from the medical, food and fitness industries. Drugs developed by Novo Nordisk (NOVOb.CO) and Eli Lilly (LLY.N) appear to be the first truly effective diet treatments. In one clinical trial, patients taking Eli Lilly’s soon-to-be-launched weight-loss drug lost about 50 pounds (23 kg). Only about a third of those who started taking the drugs for obesity were still doing so a year later, according to one analysis. Yet even as Novo, Lilly and others see their addressable markets expand, some companies will see theirs shrink.

Persons: Lilly, George Frey, Eli Lilly, Eli Lilly’s, Novo, Wegovy, Kraft Heinz, Burger, LSEG, Michael Farrell, Zimmer Biomet, Smith, Peter Thal Larsen, Sharon Lam, Oliver Taslic Organizations: Novo Nordisk, Pharmacy, REUTERS, Reuters, TAM, Drugs, Alpha, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Cadbury, Mondelez, Fortune Business, Burger King, KFC, Yum Brands, Centers for Disease Control, Milken Institute, BMJ, Novo, Inspire Medical Systems, Novo Nordisk’s, WW International, Fashion, Thomson Locations: Provo , Utah, U.S, New, United States, Lilly, England

☆ Novo Nordisk, the maker of Wegovy and Ozempic is now Europe's most valuable company
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-05 | by ( Hanna Ziady | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

London CNN —Novo Nordisk has dethroned Bernard Arnault’s luxury goods giant LVMH as Europe’s most valuable company. At the close of trading Monday, Novo Nordisk (NVO) had a market capitalization of 2.96 trillion Danish krone ($428 billion). “We are just scratching the surface,” Novo Nordisk CEO Lars Fruergaard Jørgensen told CNN’s Meg Tirrell in a recent interview. Novo Nordisk has raked in almost 49 billion Danish krone ($7 billion) in profit over the first six months of this year, up 30% from the same period in 2022. Booming sales of its drugs have led to an influx of US dollars into Denmark’s economy, pushing up the value of the Danish krone.

Persons: Bernard, Wegovy, Louis Vuitton, Hennessy, —, “, Steve Barclay, Carsten Snejbjerg, Lars Fruergaard Jørgensen, CNN’s Meg Tirrell, …, ” Organizations: London CNN — Novo Nordisk, Novo Nordisk, Louis, Health Service, Health, Social Care, Nordisk, Nordisk's, Bloomberg, Getty, World Health Organization, Danish krone, European Central Bank, Novo, UBS, Wegovy Locations: Danish, Ozempic, Wegovy, United States, Copenhagen, Denmark, Denmark’s, Novo Nordisk’s

☆ The obesity drug boom is just getting started: podcast
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-05 | by ( Aimee Donnellan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 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 Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Sept 5 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Over 1 bln people are obese, the WHO reckons. Denmark’s Novo Nordisk is ahead of the pharma pack with its Wegovy weight-loss drug. Listen to the podcastFollow @aimeedonnellan on XSubscribe to Breakingviews’ podcasts, Viewsroom and The Exchange. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

Persons: Victoria Klesty, Lars Jorgensen, Oliver Taslic Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, WHO, Denmark’s, Denmark’s Novo Nordisk, pharma, Thomson Locations: Oslo, Norway, Victoria, Denmark’s Novo

☆ Wegovy shown to reduce risk of heart attack, stroke in major cardiovascular trial
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-08 | by ( Meg Tirrell | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —The weight loss drug Wegovy was shown to reduce the risk of heart attack, stroke or heart disease-related death by 20% in a major clinical trial in people with cardiovascular disease, the first to show a weight loss drug alone can have such protective effects. It called the five-year trial “Select.”The finding of a 20% reduction in heart risk is higher than many experts had anticipated. A similar trial for the type 2 diabetes drug Ozempic, which uses the same ingredient, semaglutide, previously showed it could reduce cardiovascular risk by 26% — but no trial had yet shown a risk reduction in people without diabetes. It said it will present detailed results from the trial at a scientific conference later this year. It’s awaiting US Food and Drug Administration approval for weight loss as well.

Persons: Wegovy, 2.4mg, ”, Martin Holst Lange, Novo, Dr, Willa Hsueh, Jena Shaw Tronieri, Sanjay Gupta, Fuller, Steven Nissen, Eli Lilly, It’s, ” Nissen, he’d Organizations: CNN, Novo Nordisk, Diabetes, Metabolism Research, Wexner, The Ohio State University, Clinical Services, Center, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Nordisk, CNN Health, Cleveland, Food and Drug

☆ Lilly to buy Versanis for up to $1.93 billion to boost obesity drug portfolio
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( Reuters Staff | ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

FILE PHOTO: Eli Lilly logo is shown on one of the company's offices in San Diego, California, U.S., September 17, 2020. REUTERS/Mike Blake/File Photo(Reuters) -Eli Lilly and Co said on Friday it will acquire privately held drug developer Versanis for up to $1.93 billion, in a bid to boost its portfolio of obesity drugs. Under the terms of the agreement, Versanis shareholders could receive $1.93 billion in cash, which includes an upfront payment and subsequent payments upon achievement of certain development and sales milestones. Versanis’s lead drug, bimagrumab, is being evaluated in a mid-stage trial alone as well as in combination with Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy or semaglutide in adults who are overweight or obese.

Persons: Eli Lilly, Mike Blake Organizations: REUTERS, Nordisk’s Locations: San Diego , California, U.S

☆ Exclusive: Most patients using weight-loss drugs like Wegovy stop within a year, data show
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( Chad Terhune | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The annual cost of overall care for patients prior to taking Wegovy or a similar drug was $12,371, on average, according to the analysis. The costs for a similar control group of patients not taking the drugs decreased by 4% over the same period. The analysis by Prime Therapeutics, a pharmacy benefits manager (PBM), reviewed pharmacy and medical claims data for 4,255 people with commercial health plans. For the analysis, Prime Therapeutics excluded patients with type 2 diabetes to focus on obesity treatment. In trials with adults, Novo found that 6.8% of patients taking Wegovy discontinued treatment due to gastrointestinal problems and other adverse events.

Persons: Wegovy, Khrysta Baig, Patrick Gleason, Novo, aren't, Gleason, David Lassen, Lassen, Chad Terhune, Michele Gershberg, Bill Berkrot Organizations: Reuters, Vanderbilt University, Novo Nordisk, Prime Therapeutics, Therapeutics, U.S, Blue, Thomson Locations: Danish

☆ Obesity drug Wegovy's popularity has US employers rethinking insurance coverage
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( Patrick Wingrove | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

[1/2] A selection of injector pens for the Saxenda weight loss drug are shown in this photo illustration in Chicago, Illinois, U.S., March 31, 2023. A new and more expensive version of the drug specifically for weight loss, called Wegovy, had been approved in 2021 by U.S. health regulators. Employers that cover weight-loss drugs have required medical practices to document patients’ need for Wegovy since it was approved. The federal Medicare healthcare program for Americans aged 65 and older cannot cover weight loss treatments by law. Only 16 states – the most populous being California, Pennsylvania and Michigan – cover Wegovy and other obesity drugs under their Medicaid plans for low-income patients.

Persons: Jim Vondruska, Shawnte, Aon, Mercer, Willis Towers Watson, Eli Lilly, Jeff Levin, Levin, Scherz, Michael Manolakis, William Yancy, Manolakis, Patrick Wingrove, Michele Gershberg, Suzanne Goldenberg Organizations: REUTERS, New, Warner Bros, Warner Bros Discovery Inc, Reuters, Marsh & McLennan, Employers, Barclays Research, Novo Nordisk, Duke University, Thomson Locations: Chicago , Illinois, U.S, New York, Marsh, Wegovy, California, Pennsylvania, Michigan

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