July 2, 2025 — A new report from Reuters tells us that Novo Nordisk is having a hard time coming to terms with its failure to solidify a leadership position in the obesity market it created from nothing with semaglutide. Former executives and financial analysts alike say the company was too conservative and unprepared for a blockbuster launch: “way, way, […]
May 18, 2025 — “Today, we salute you, Lars Fruergaard Jørgensen,” writes Dave Knapp on his widely-read substack commentary. After a startling transition in leadership at Novo Nordisk, Jørgensen is now the outgoing CEO. Jørgensen is the CEO who guided the successful launch of Ozempic and Wegovy. He made the company into one of the most valuable in Europe. […]
May 7, 2025 — The word of the day in obesity is volatility. Minutes ago in Denmark, Novo Nordisk announced their first quarter business results and revealed a 13% drop in obesity drug sales, a reduction in their sales forecast, and yet the response in European stock markets was that the stock rose in value. In fact, it rose […]
May 3, 2025 — Rather quietly this week, Eli Lilly and Company announced that it had withdrawn an application to FDA for an indication to use tirzepatide (Zepbound) in treating heart failure – specifically for HFpEF. This news came up in a briefing for investors, with Lilly’s Chief Scientific Officer, Dan Skovronsky, saying: “Following discussions with the FDA, we’ve […]
May 2, 2025 — The last legitimate path for GLP-1 compounding closes on May 22 and consumer protection advocates are worried about rabbit holes opening up to exploit the desperation of some patients. Yesterday, the National Consumer League (NCL) released survey results to suggest a great deal of confusion and misinformation about off-brand versions of GLP-1 medicines. Perhaps more […]
May 1, 2025 — Late yesterday, the New England Journal of Medicine published interim results from a study that points to another breakthrough for semaglutide – this time for a MASH indication. The analysis includes 800 patients with MASH with an average BMI of 34.5. Only 22 patients in this trial had a BMI that indicated leanness. Nearly two […]
March 15, 2025 — A new analysis in JAMA Health Forum yesterday shines a harsh light on pricing for new obesity medicines. In a rigorous econometric analysis, researchers found that new and highly effective medicines for obesity – Wegovy (semaglutide) and Zepbound (tirzepatide) – are both overpriced. They also found that the price and value of Wegovy was out […]
March 6, 2025 — Prices are moving quickly for people seeking obesity treatment with semaglutide and tirzepatide. Last week, Lilly offered another price cut for Zepbound. At the time, we noted inaction from Novo Nordisk on this front. But it barely took a week for this formerly unchallenged market leader to step up and respond with a huge price […]
February 7, 2025 — Novo Nordisk and Lilly reported on their business results this week for the final quarter of 2024. These reports brought clarity on a number of points, but to us, one thing stands out. We are moving from euphoria and hype about limitless possibilities in obesity to the realities of market competition and incremental progress. Sales […]
January 29, 2025 — FDA yesterday approved Ozempic (semaglutide) to prevent kidney failure and death in persons with type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease. This fits with one of the five trends for this year: the steady expansion of health benefits for advanced medicines used in obesity and diabetes. But note that this approval covers the use of […]
