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Wegovy is the first-to-market in a new class of highly effective weight-loss drugs. The self-injection drug has transformed the fortunes of Novo, whose shares have surged about 165% since Wegovy's U.S. launch two years ago. The lion's share may be claimed by frontrunners Novo and its U.S. rival Eli Lilly and Co (LLY.N). Last month, Novo launched Wegovy in Germany, its first big European market. Reporting by Maggie Fick and Jacob Gronholt-Pedersen Editing by Josephine Mason and Mark PotterOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Novo Nordisk Lars Fruergaard Jorgensen, LUDOVIC MARIN, Lars Fruergaard Jorgensen's, Jorgensen, Eli Lilly, Wegovy, Novo, Maggie Fick, Jacob Gronholt, Pedersen, Josephine Mason, Mark Potter Organizations: Novo Nordisk, Chateau, BMI, Reuters, frontrunners Novo, Pfizer, Thomson Locations: Versailles, Paris, COPENHAGEN, Europe, Danish, United States, Denmark, Norway, Brussels, Wegovy, Germany

A selection of injector pens for the Wegovy weight loss drug are shown in this photo illustration in Chicago, Illinois, U.S., March 31, 2023. REUTERS/Jim Vondruska/Illustration/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsFRANKFURT, Aug 24 (Reuters) - Supplies of Novo Nordisk's (NOVOb.CO) popular weight-loss drug Wegovy are limited in Germany less than a month after its launch in Europe's largest drug market, major drug distributors and doctors told Reuters. The volumes of the weekly injection that the Danish drugmaker has delivered to the country so far have fallen short of strong demand, the wholesalers said. "Demand is by far exceeding the available volumes," a spokesperson for Noweda, which has almost a quarter of the German drug wholesale trade, told Reuters, adding the problem was nationwide. The distributors, which act as go-betweens for drug companies and pharmacies, declined to give details of volumes.

Persons: Jim Vondruska, Thomas Horbach, Sanacorp, Pharmahandel, Pharma Privat, Helios St, Elisabeth Klinik, Jodok Fink, ”, Ludwig Burger, Maggie Fick, Josephine Mason, Mark Potter Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Reuters, Noweda, Novo, Pharma, Thomson Locations: Chicago , Illinois, U.S, Novo, Germany, Europe, Munich, Oberhausen, Freiburg, Frankfurt, London

☆ Weight loss drugs are priced substantially higher in the U.S. than in other countries, analysis says
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( Annika Kim Constantino | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

In this photo illustration, a box of the diabetes drug Ozempic rests on a pharmacy counter on April 17, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. Blockbuster weight loss drugs are priced significantly higher in the U.S. than in other large, high-income countries, according to a new analysis released Thursday. The report from KFF, a health policy organization, comes as many U.S. health insurers balk at the extreme cost of weight loss drugs and drop the medications from their plans. These list prices and the patchy insurance coverage of weight loss drugs in the U.S. undoubtedly impact accessibility. New trial data released by Novo Nordisk last week could potentially put more pressure on U.S. insurers to cover weight loss drugs.

Persons: Eli, Eli Lilly weren't, Wegovy Organizations: Blockbuster, balk, Novo Nordisk, Novo Nordisk's Wegovy, CNBC Locations: Los Angeles , California, U.S, KFF, Novo, Japan, Germany, Sweden, France, Netherlands, Danish

☆ Wegovy-maker Novo Nordisk raises outlook as sales of its weight-loss drug soar
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( Hannah Ward-Glenton | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

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. The company's diabetes and obesity division performed particularly well, bolstered by interest in its blockbuster injection Wegovy. Novo Nordisk , which makes the weight-loss drug Wegovy, raised its outlook for 2023 Thursday, as it reported soaring sales. For 2023, the company now anticipates sales growth of 27%-33% and operating profit growth of 31%-37%, at constant exchange rates. The active ingredient in Wegovy is semaglutide, an FDA-approved drug that works by imitating a naturally-occurring gut hormone that helps to regulate appetite.

Persons: Wegovy, Lars Fruergaard Jørgensen, — Sam Meredith Organizations: Novo Nordisk, FDA Locations: Chicago , Illinois, U.S, Danish

☆ Obesity drug Wegovy's landmark trial result could 'open up' health insurance access, analyst says
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-09 | by ( Karen Gilchrist | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Until now, some health insurers have been reluctant to cover the drug, given its high costs and a lack of data around its underlying health benefits. But the results of the latest trial data could change that. "Do I think most payers will adopt [obesity drugs] overnight because of the SELECT trial? According to the World Health Organization, global obesity rates have almost tripled over the past decade. Novo Nordisk shares soared by 17% following the release of the trial results on Tuesday.

Persons: Jim Vondruska, Peter Verdult, CNBC's, Wegovy, Verdult, Martin Holst Lange, Eli Lilly, Mounjaro, Michael Mason, Eli Lily, Lilly Diabetes, It's, Lilly, Novo, Lily Organizations: Reuters LONDON, Novo Nordisk, Citi, Novo, World Health Organization, Barclays, Citi Verdult, European Markets Authority Locations: Chicago , Illinois, Danish, U.S, Europe, London

☆ Rising US political violence, a Kremlin aide's neo-Nazism association, Wegovy's push and China’s woes
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Read the transcriptReuters identifies more than 200 cases of political violence since the Capitol attack. Wegovy’s latest drug trial changes the conversation. A Kremlin aide who brings Ukrainian children to Russia associated online with neo-Nazism. Plus, China’s economy and Ohio abortion rule. Visit the Thomson Reuters Privacy Statement for information on our privacy and data protection practices.

Persons: Novo's Organizations: Apple, Google, Reuters, Kremlin, Thomson Locations: Russia, Ohio, China

A selection of injector pens for the Wegovy weight loss drug are shown in this photo illustration in Chicago, Illinois, U.S., March 31, 2023. The increasingly popular Wegovy has transformed the weight-loss market since its U.S. launch in June 2021, capturing the attention of patients, investors and celebrities worldwide. Novo's news lifted shares in Europe's second-most valuable listed company after LVMH (LVMH.PA) by more than 17% to record highs. Novo said the eagerly-awaited study results, which have not been peer reviewed, showed that patients on Wegovy had a 20% lower incidence of heart attack, stroke or death from heart disease compared to those on a placebo. Lilly's shares rose nearly 15% in early U.S. trading, boosted by its upbeat quarterly results and Novo's trial data.

Persons: Jim Vondruska, Novo, Wegovy, Jeff Levin, Willis, Willis Towers Watson, Martin Holst Lange, Novo's, Eli Lilly, Mounjaro, Soren Lontoft Hansen, Maggie Fick, Nikolaj Skydsgaard, Jacob Gronholt, Ludwig Burger, Patrick Wingrove, Terje Solsvik, Josephine Mason, Sharon Singleton, Kirsten Donovan, Jan Harvey, Alexander Smith Organizations: REUTERS, COPENHAGEN, Novo Nordisk, Willis Towers, U.S, Union, Pfizer Inc, Amgen Inc, World Health Organization, Barclays, Reuters, Pedersen, Thomson Locations: Chicago , Illinois, U.S, LONDON, Europe's, Europe, United States, Novo, Wegovy, Germany, Denmark, Norway, Copenhagen, Frankfurt, New York, Oslo

☆ Novo Nordisk shares pop after key trial data shows Wegovy cuts risk of heart attack or stroke by 20%
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-08 | by ( Sam Meredith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Packages of the weight-loss drug Wegovy from the pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk lie on the sales counter in a Danish pharmacy. Shares of Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk soared on Tuesday, after late-stage trial data showed that its obesity drug Wegovy reduced the risk of major cardiovascular events such as heart attacks or strokes by 20%, compared with a placebo. Shares of Novo Nordisk rose nearly 16% during mid-morning deals, before paring gains. Martin Holst Lange, executive vice president for development at Novo Nordisk, said that the results showed that the company's obesity drug "has the potential to change how obesity is regarded and treated." "Therefore, we are very excited about the results from SELECT showing that semaglutide 2.4 mg reduces the risk of cardiovascular events."

Persons: Martin Holst Lange, Holst Lange Organizations: Novo Nordisk, Nordisk, Investors, Reuters Locations: Danish, semaglutide

A selection of injector pens for the Wegovy weight loss drug are shown in this photo illustration in Chicago, Illinois, U.S., March 31, 2023. The study called SELECT involved 17,500 patients aged 45 years or older with no prior history of diabetes and started almost five years ago testing if the weekly injection has medical benefits. The landmark trial data shows Wegovy has "the potential to change how obesity is regarded and treated," said Martin Holst Lange, executive vice president for development at Novo Nordisk, in a statement. Novo Nordisk said it expects to file for regulatory approvals of a label indication expansion for the weekly injection in the United States and European Union this year. The detailed results from the trial will be presented at a scientific conference later in 2023.

Persons: Jim Vondruska, Wegovy, Danish drugmaker, That's, Martin Holst Lange, Soren Lontoft Hansen, Novo, Maggie Fick, Nikolaj Skydsgaard, Josephine Mason, Sharon Singleton, Kirsten Donovan Organizations: REUTERS, COPENHAGEN, Novo Nordisk, Nordisk, European Union, World Health Organization, Barclays, Thomson Locations: Chicago , Illinois, U.S, LONDON, Danish, Europe's, United States, Europe, European, Norway, Denmark, Germany, Norwegian

FRANKFURT, July 29 (Reuters) - Novo Nordisk has launched blockbuster weight-loss drug Wegovy in Germany, its first big European market, hoping Germans will pay hundreds of euros out of pocket for a drug that public health insurance plans are so far barred from covering. The Danish drugmaker's share price has more than doubled in the two years since the drug debuted, turning Novo (NOVOb.CO) into Europe's second-most-valuable listed company after LVMH. Among major providers, Allianz (ALVG.DE) says it will pay if a physician diagnoses a medical need, while Debeka said its plans exclude weight-loss treatments. Novo is ramping up production to meet soaring demand in the United States, where the drug sells for as much as $1,350 a month. Doctors say many Germans seeking to lose weight have already used Ozempic, a diabetes drug also made by Novo that is a lower dose version of the same ingredient as Wegovy.

Persons: Wegovy, Debeka, Robert Koch, Ludwig Burger, Maggie Fick Organizations: Novo Nordisk, Novo, LVMH, Allianz, European Union, Robert Koch Institute, Thomson Locations: FRANKFURT, Germany, United States, Europe, Norway, Denmark, Danish, Novo, Wegovy, Frankfurt, London

☆ Weight loss drug Wegovy is from Europe — but users in the region face a long and costly wait
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( Karen Gilchrist | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Packages of the weight-loss drug Wegovy from the pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk lie on the sales counter in a Danish pharmacy. Still, it's seen as too expensive for many public health systems in Europe. They're obviously in a capacity constrained environment and we don't know how much they're willing to allocate to Europe. Eli Lily , whose diabetes drug Mounjaro can also be used for weight loss, has also faced supply gluts. They're obviously in a capacity constrained environment and we don't know how much they're willing to allocate to Europe," Field said.

Persons: Stefan Trumpf, it's, Emily Field, Wegovy's, Eli Lily Organizations: Novo Nordisk, Getty, CNBC, Denmark — Novo, Barclays, BMI, German Obesity Society, Novo Nordisk — Locations: Danish, Germany, Europe, Denmark, Norway, Novo, U.S

Interviews with seven doctors and two other potential users of Wegovy from Germany, where Novo Nordisk's (NOVOb.CO) weight-loss drug will become available at the end of July, show the office administrator isn't alone. Allianz (ALVG.DE) says it will pay if a physician diagnoses a medical need while Debeka said its plans exclude weight-loss treatments. In Germany, Wegovy will be administered with the same injection pen used in Norway and Denmark, not the one used in the United States to avoid hitting supplies there. "Patients are so desperate in Germany that they will pay out of their pocket for the medication." "My experience is that people will be able to pay for it out of (their own) pocket," said Horbach.

Persons: Doctor Thomas Horbach, Wegovy, Novo, Jessica Lenth, isn't, I've, Lenth, Debeka, Robert Koch, Danish drugmaker, Sylvia Weiner, Karl Rheinwalt, Thomas Horbach, Weiner, Rheinwalt, Juergen Ordemann, Michael Wirtz, Wirtz, Irina Ernstberger, Ernstberger, Ludwig Burger, Maggie Fick, Patricia Weiss, Josephine Mason, Catherine Evans Organizations: Novo Nordisk, FRANKFURT, Reuters, Allianz, European Union, Robert Koch Institute, Sana Klinikum, St, Hospital, Ozempic, Novo, Thomson Locations: Germany, Munich, LONDON, Hamburg, Wegovy, United States, Danish, Norway, Denmark, Sana, Frankfurt, St Franziskus, Hospital Cologne, Berlin's, Winsen, Lower Saxony, London

☆ Bullish developments for three stocks across sectors — and our take, too
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( Kevin Stankiewicz | In Kevinstankiewicz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Morgan Stanley analysts believe the market for obesity drugs is even larger than initially expected, a finding that aligns with our rosy outlook on Eli Lilly (LLY). The news: Obesity drugs could generate annual sales up to $77 billion in 2030, Morgan Stanley said Friday, a nearly 43% increase to the firm's previous forecast. Insurance reimbursement for obesity drugs has spread quicker than Morgan Stanley expected, which helped prompt the firm to update its multiyear sales outlook. However, there's been some concern that insurance companies would be hesitant to cover this new class of obesity drugs, which carry hefty price tags, along with side effects like nausea and vomiting. Eli Lilly and Company, Pharmaceutical company headquarters in Alcobendas, Madrid, Spain.

Persons: Morgan Stanley, Eli Lilly, LLY, Lilly, Wegovy, Eli Lilly's, Morgan Stanley's, Jim Cramer's, we've, there's, Sartorius, Danaher, We've, We're, Lisa Su, Su, TSM, Apple's, There's, Jim Cramer, Jim, Cristina Arias Organizations: Club, Novo Nordisk, Wall, AMD, Devices, Club holding's, Nikkei Asia, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Apple, Nvidia, Intel, CNBC, Company, Pharmaceutical Locations: U.S, Japan, Tokyo, Taiwan, China, Beijing, Arizona, Alcobendas, Madrid, Spain

☆ What investors need to know about weight loss medicines and suicide risk
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-16 | by ( Christina Cheddar Berk | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Investors would be forgiven if talk of a potential suicide risk associated with a new class of diabetes and weight loss drugs led to skittishness last week. Prior attempts to treat overweight or obese patients with medications were often plagued with side effects and drug recalls. The first is that most obesity drugs, including GLP-1s, are "centrally acting," which means they work on a patient's brain. The second is that prior obesity drugs have been withdrawn because of high rates of psychiatric disorders, he said, citing Sanofi's Acomplia as one of the more recent examples. This was not the case for the GLP-1 medications.

Persons: skittishness, Eli Lilly's Trulicity, Lilly's, Wolfe, Tim Anderson, Anderson, Sanofi's Acomplia, Eli Lilly, Wolfe's Anderson, Colin Bristow, Lilly, LLY's, Peter Verdult, Wegovy, Verdult, Bristow, Emmanuel Papadakis, Papadakis, — CNBC's Michael Bloom Organizations: Nordisk's Ozempic, Wall Street, European Medicines Agency, EMA, Wolfe Research, FDA, UBS, Citi, Novo Nordisk, Deutsche Bank, Prevention Locations: United States, U.S

☆ Strong U.S. demand eases pressure on Novo to show weight-loss drug's health benefits
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( Maggie Fick | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Investors had been banking on the study results being the next big driver of the company's shares. That's due to high demand and after Novo raised its profit outlook in April, said Berenberg analyst Kerry Holford. If the risk reduction was between 10 and 14%, shares would decrease by less than 5%. A year ago, investors said a risk reduction of 10 to 14% in the trial would put significant downward pressure on the stock, Holford said. Barclays analyst Emily Field said a risk reduction as low as 11% could boost the stock.

Persons: Novo, Kerry Holford, Holford, Emily Field, Maggie Fick, Josephine Mason, Alexandra Hudson Organizations: Soaring U.S, Novo Nordisk's, Nestle, UBS, Reuters, Barclays, May, BMO Global Asset Management, Alexandra Hudson Our, Thomson Locations: Danish, United States

☆ EU expands Wegovy, Ozempic probe over suicide risks to include other weight loss, diabetes drugs
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( Annika Kim Constantino | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

In this photo illustration, boxes of the diabetes drug Ozempic rest on a pharmacy counter on April 17, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. But it could potentially include Eli Lilly 's diabetes drug Mounjaro, which is approved in the EU. Liraglutide is the active ingredient in Novo Nordisk's weight loss drug Saxenda. Semaglutide is the active ingredient in the Danish company's weight loss injection, Wegovy, and its diabetes counterpart, Ozempic. They mimic a hormone produced in the gut called GLP-1 to suppress a person's appetite and ultimately aid with weight loss.

Persons: Eli Lilly, It's, Liraglutide, Semaglutide, ideation Organizations: Novo Nordisk, European Medicines Agency, Pfizer, EMA, CNBC, Icelandic Medicines Agency, Novo Nordisk's Saxenda, Food and Drug Administration Locations: Los Angeles , California, Danish, Wegovy's, U.S

☆ Focus: Biotech firms target weight-loss drugs without Wegovy's side-effects
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-07 | by ( Maggie Fick | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

[1/7] Rebecca Vogt, a former user of the weight-loss drug Wegovy, poses for a photo, in Irving, New York, U.S., June 20, 2023. It leads to 22.5% weight loss, according to a Lilly trial published last year. An even earlier stage biotech firm, Antag Therapeutics in Denmark, told Reuters that the ballooning obesity market has improved its fundraising prospects. It curbs appetite by restoring the natural release of GLP-1 and other hormones, without causing nausea, Phase I data showed. The effect of the drug on weight loss is being tested in the Phase II study.

Persons: Rebecca Vogt, Handout, Wegovy, Vogt, Jayson Dallas, Noushin Irani, Mounjaro, Eli Lilly's, Lilly, Andrew Levin, Rivus, Mark Fineman, Ashish Nimgaonkar, Nimgaonkar, Alexander Sparre, Ulrich, Tim Opler, Opler, Stifel, Maggie Fick, Josephine Mason, Daniel Flynn Organizations: REUTERS, Nordisk's, Food and Drug Administration, U.S, Reuters, Rivus Pharmaceuticals, Investors, Deutsche, FDA, Pfizer, Capital Management, Rivus, Therapeutics, Johns Hopkins University, pharma, Antag Therapeutics, Aphaia Pharma, Thomson Locations: Irving , New York, U.S, GLP, Buffalo , New York, United States, Dallas, Baltimore , Maryland, Denmark, Switzerland

☆ Weight loss without Wegovy’s side-effects on biotech firms' radar
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-07 | by ( Maggie Fick | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

It leads to 22.5% weight loss, according to a Lilly trial published last year. The effect achieves far more weight loss than predecessors. An even earlier stage biotech firm, Antag Therapeutics in Denmark, told Reuters that the ballooning obesity market has improved its fundraising prospects. It curbs appetite by restoring the natural release of GLP-1 and other hormones, without causing nausea, Phase I data showed. The effect of the drug on weight loss is being tested in the Phase II study.

☆ As drugmakers race to develop the next big weight loss pill, Eli Lilly may have an edge
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( Annika Kim Constantino | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Drugmakers are jockeying to capitalize on the next major innovation coming to the blockbuster weight loss industry: effective, convenient and potentially affordable obesity pills. But for now, one experimental oral drug from Eli Lilly appears to have an edge over pills from Novo Nordisk and Pfizer — even though it may not win U.S. approval first. Pills are also typically cheaper than injections, though it's unclear if that will be the case with the obesity pills. None of the three drugmakers has provided estimates for how much the new obesity pills would cost. Eli Lilly is still in the middle of phase three clinical trials on its oral drug, orforglipron, meaning it's likely to hit the market later.

Persons: It's, there's, Eli Lilly, Pfizer — Organizations: Novo Nordisk, Pfizer, CNBC, Food and Drug Administration Locations: U.S, orforglipron

☆ 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

☆ Novo Nordisk says EMA raised safety signal on drugs, shares fall
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-22 | by ( Nikolaj Skydsgaard | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) raised the safety signal, which is a way to monitor potential adverse events from the use of approved drugs. "Novo Nordisk is aware of the signal and the request by EMA and will deliver a thorough assessment of all relevant data to elucidate this topic," Lars Otto Andersen-Lange, media relations director at Novo Nordisk, told Reuters. reported the EMA safety signal. report referred to a May 8 statement from EMA, which raised a thyroid cancer safety signal for several drugs in the GLP-1 class, including semaglutide. EMA's safety signal also included GLP-1 drugs from competitors Eli Lilly (LLY.N), Astrazeneca (AZN.L) and Sanofi (SASY.PA).

Persons: Eli Lilly, Ozempic, Lars Otto Andersen, Lange, Andersen, " Andersen, Soren Lontoft Hansen, semaglutide, Nikolaj Skydsgaard, Maggie Fick, Alexander Smith Organizations: Sanofi, Novo Nordisk, European Medicines Agency, EMA, Nordisk, Reuters, Astrazeneca, FDA, Thomson Locations: Astrazeneca, COPENHAGEN, Denmark's Novo, Copenhagen

Eli Lilly also is expected to present data on another weight-loss drug called orforglipron, which patients take orally instead of through an injection. Retatrutide, Mounjaro and weight-loss drug Wegovy, produced by rival Novo Nordisk (NVO), are all injectable. But if the data were to fall short of expectations, the analysts don't foresee much downside to J & J shares. However, with JNJ-2113, Morgan Stanley noted that J & J management has touted its efficacy profile "without the baggage of a JAK label." J & J has consistently denied those accusations.

Persons: Eli Lilly, Johnson, Morgan Stanley —, Eli Lilly Eli Lilly, Morgan Stanley, Eli Lilly's Mounjaro, Mounjaro, Lilly's, retatrutide, hasn't, haven't, Jim Cramer's, Jim Cramer, Jim, AJ Mast Organizations: American Diabetes Association, Novo Nordisk, U.S . Food, Drug Administration, Pfizer, Novo Nordisk's, Johnson, American Academy of Dermatology, topline, J's, LTL Management, CNBC, Bloomberg, Getty, & ' $ Locations: U.S, Novo, Indianapolis , Indiana

Novo's inability to keep up with a burst in U.S. demand for Wegovy has effectively delayed the launch in Britain and elsewhere in Europe. A company spokesperson would not comment on any commitment to supply its drug for the British pilot. The British government said that only 35,000 people would have access to Wegovy under the specialist hospital services, but tens of thousands more could be eligible. Duane Mellor, a dietitian and senior lecturer at Aston University's medical school, told Reuters drugs like Wegovy were a tool, not the solution. Wegovy works by mimicking a hormone called glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) that triggers the feeling of fullness in the body after eating.

Persons: Jim Vondruska, Sunak, Eli Lilly's, Eli Lilly, Phil McEwan, Novo, Keen, Wegovy, Duane Mellor, Simon Cork, Ludwig Burger, Maggie Fick, Anusha, Helen Reid, Lincoln, Mark Potter Organizations: REUTERS, National Health, Novo, British, NHS, NICE, National Institute for Health, Care, Wegovy, Nordisk, ., Heor Ltd, Reuters, Aston, Anglia Ruskin University, Thomson Locations: Chicago , Illinois, U.S, Britain, England, Europe, United States, British, Cardiff, Denmark, Norway, Frankfurt, London, Bengaluru

☆ Factbox: Novo Nordisk's weight-loss drug cuts heart disease risk in study
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] A selection of injector pens for the Wegovy weight loss drug are shown in this photo illustration in Chicago, Illinois, U.S., March 31, 2023. AMGENAmgen's (AMGN.O) experimental obesity drug, AMG133, showed a mean weight loss of 14.5% after 12 weeks of treatment at the highest monthly dose. The company plans to test higher doses of the drug over a longer treatment window in a mid-stage trial. ZEALAND PHARMADenmark's Zealand Pharma (ZELA.CO) and Boehringer Ingelheim's experimental obesity treatment achieved up to 14.9% weight loss in a mid-stage trial on Wednesday. OPKO HEALTH Opko Health (OPK.O) has completed a mid-stage trial of its obesity drug, pegapamodutide, which it expects will have fewer side effects.

Persons: Jim Vondruska, Wegovy, Eli Lilly, ELI LILLY Lilly, Mounjaro, LLY.N, danuglipron, AMGEN, ALTIMMUNE, Mariam Sunny, Pratik Jain, Sriparna Roy, Sriraj Kalluvila, Anil D'Silva Organizations: REUTERS, Novo Nordisk, Pfizer, NOVO NORDISK Novo Nordisk, Novo, PFIZER Pfizer Inc, danuglipron, THERAPEUTICS, Therapeutics, ZEALAND PHARMA Denmark's Zealand Pharma, Thomson Locations: Chicago , Illinois, U.S, Bengaluru

☆ Investors see big Novo Nordisk stock boost if obesity drug shows heart benefit
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Maggie Fick | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Demand for the Danish company's weight-loss treatment Wegovy is soaring in the United States, leading it to significantly raise its full-year profit and sales expectations last month. "But most insurance companies (...) may need to see that data, to definitively see the correlation between weight loss and improved outcomes." Less than 15% could put downward pressure on the stock while around 10% would be a major disappointment, some of the investors and analysts said. Booming demand and production issues have caused shortages of Wegovy though, forcing Novo to delay launching the weekly injection in most of Europe. Even with the medical benefit, investors say the company faces a challenge convincing Europe's cost-conscious health authorities to pay for the drug.

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