Novo shares rise for second day after Lilly obesity pills trails Wegovy in trial

Published 08/08/2025, 10:24
© Reuters

Investing.com - Copenhagen-listed shares of Novo Nordisk (CSE:NOVOb) rose by more than 5% on Friday, extending gains notched in the prior session, after a weight-loss pill from chief rival Eli Lilly (NYSE:LLY) showed less effectiveness than its blockbuster Wegovy drug.

In a statement on Thursday, Lilly said a late-stage study found that its experimental GLP-1 pill allowed patients to shed an average of 12.4% pounds after 72 weeks. Of the more than 3,000 people who participated in the study, those who received a placebo drug lost 0.9%.

Lilly executives have touted the once-daily pill, known as orforglipron, as a cheaper alternative to recently-popular obesity injections like its Zepbound offering or Novo’s Wegovy. Both of the medications are currently the main powerhouses of the obesity drug market, which is anticipated to surge to $150 billion in value early in the next decade.

Analysts cited by Reuters said they had been expecting orforglipron to equal Wegovy’s 14.9% weight loss over 68 weeks, which was demonstrated in a 2021 trial. Others had even seen the drug surpassing Wegovy in this regard.

The results also come after a separate study in June from Novo Nordisk showed that the Danish firm’s experimental option CagriSema led to nearly 23% in weight loss in overweight or obese adults, and overweight patients with type 2 diabetes lost almost 16% of their weight.

In a note, analysts at Mizuho (NYSE:MFG) flagged that Lilly’s study also showed an almost 25% drop-out rate in patients using the highest dose of orforglipron. The placebo rate stood at 29.9%, which the analysts said could suggest that "there was something about the study that is odd/unique and will need to get some clarity here."

In the wake of the announcement, shares in Novo, which have been under pressure in recent days after the company issued a profit warning and flagged a senior leadership shake-up, rose. The stock’s Novo Nordisk (NYSE:NVO), in particular, advanced by more than 7%.

Latest comments

Risk Disclosure: Trading in financial instruments and/or cryptocurrencies involves high risks including the risk of losing some, or all, of your investment amount, and may not be suitable for all investors. Prices of cryptocurrencies are extremely volatile and may be affected by external factors such as financial, regulatory or political events. Trading on margin increases the financial risks.
Before deciding to trade in financial instrument or cryptocurrencies you should be fully informed of the risks and costs associated with trading the financial markets, carefully consider your investment objectives, level of experience, and risk appetite, and seek professional advice where needed.
Fusion Media would like to remind you that the data contained in this website is not necessarily real-time nor accurate. The data and prices on the website are not necessarily provided by any market or exchange, but may be provided by market makers, and so prices may not be accurate and may differ from the actual price at any given market, meaning prices are indicative and not appropriate for trading purposes. Fusion Media and any provider of the data contained in this website will not accept liability for any loss or damage as a result of your trading, or your reliance on the information contained within this website.
It is prohibited to use, store, reproduce, display, modify, transmit or distribute the data contained in this website without the explicit prior written permission of Fusion Media and/or the data provider. All intellectual property rights are reserved by the providers and/or the exchange providing the data contained in this website.
Fusion Media may be compensated by the advertisers that appear on the website, based on your interaction with the advertisements or advertisers
© 2007-2025 - Fusion Media Limited. All Rights Reserved.