Novo Nordisk CFO Predicts Further Price Drops for Ozempic and Wegovy

Novo Nordisk, the maker of Ozempic and Wegovy obesity drugs, expects US prices to continue falling after President Trump called for lower Medicaid prices. The Danish drugmaker's sales growth has slowed, with the weakest growth in four years, as Eli Lilly gains ground in the US obesity drug market. Novo Nordisk's CFO, Karsten Munk Knudsen, spoke with Bloomberg's Francine Lacqua from Copenhagen.

Novo Nordisk, a leading Danish pharmaceutical company, has revised its 2025 sales and profit guidance due to slower-than-expected growth in its GLP-1 treatments, Wegovy and Ozempic. The company reported strong first-half results, with sales rising 18% at constant exchange rates (CER) to DKK 154.9 billion and operating profit increasing 29% to DKK 72.2 billion [1].

However, Novo Nordisk has now forecast 2025 sales growth of 8% to 14% at CER, down from a prior forecast of 13% to 21%. The company cited lower expectations for Wegovy in the U.S. and selected international markets, and for Ozempic in the U.S. GLP-1 diabetes segment as reasons for the downward revision [1].

The Danish drugmaker expects operating profit to rise 10% to 16%, revised from 16% to 24%. This adjustment comes as Novo Nordisk faces increasing competition from Eli Lilly and generic versions of its obesity drug Wegovy [2].

Novo Nordisk's CFO, Karsten Munk Knudsen, spoke with Bloomberg's Francine Lacqua from Copenhagen, discussing the impact of President Trump's call for lower Medicaid prices on U.S. drug prices. Knudsen noted that the company expects U.S. prices to continue falling, which may further impact sales growth [3].

Despite the challenges, Novo Nordisk is maintaining its full-year capital expenditure guidance of DKK 65 billion and continues to invest in the global rollout of Wegovy and Ozempic. The company has also announced plans to cut costs to ensure efficiencies in its cost base while continuing to invest in future growth [2].

References:
[1] https://www.investing.com/news/earnings/novo-nordisk-cuts-2025-outlook-on-slower-glp1-growth-despite-strong-h1-4171912
[2] https://seekingalpha.com/news/4479498-novo-nordisk-plans-cost-cuts-amid-slower-wegovy-growth-outlook