Novo Nordisk A/S (NYSE:NVO) plans to start selling its blockbuster obesity drug Wegovy in vials, marking its latest effort to strengthen its position against rival Eli Lilly and Co. (NYSE:LLY) as competition intensifies in the fast-growing weight-loss market.
Currently, Novo markets Wegovy in prefilled injector pens.
Lilly began offering vials of Zepbound in 2024 amid widespread shortages, when demand outpaced its ability to manufacture sufficient pen devices.
Eli Lilly CEO Dave Ricks said earlier this month that vials have since become Lilly's most popular format, accounting for roughly one-third of new patients starting any weight-loss therapy.
The Bloomberg report adds that Novo Nordisk has not disclosed pricing details for its vial format. The company plans to introduce vials in the U.S. first before selling them in other markets.
Novo Nordisk CEO Mike Doustdar told Bloomberg the move aligns with the company's broader ambition to reach millions of people living with obesity.
Vials can provide more flexible dosing compared with prefilled pens, but they require patients to manually draw the medication into a syringe before injection.
Novo Nordisk is evaluating multiple device configurations for Wegovy, according to spokeswoman Liz Skrbkova, with some expected to launch this year and others at a later stage.
Novo Nordisk’s Challenges
Novo Nordisk’s stock has already struggled on a softer outlook for fiscal 2026 and compounding concerns from Hims & Hers Health Inc (NYSE:HIMS).
The company said it expects adjusted sales growth for 2026, which excludes revenue from the reversal of 340B provisions, to be -5% to -13% at constant exchange rates (CER).
Novo Nordisk attributed the lower sales outlook to lower realized prices, including impacts related to the “Most Favoured Nations” agreement in the U.S. and the patent expiry of the semaglutide molecule in certain international operation markets, as well as competition.
Eli Lilly sees fiscal 2026 adjusted earnings of $33.50-$35 per share compared to the consensus of $33.23. The obesity drug maker expects sales between $80 billion-$83 billion, well ahead of the Wall Street estimate of $77.62 billion. The midpoint represents 25% growth.
Earlier this week, Novo Nordisk filed a lawsuit against Hims & Hers.
NVO Price Action: Novo Nordisk stock is down 0.82% at $48.34 at publication on Thursday, according to Benzinga Pro data.
Photo: Shutterstock
- No comments yet. Be the first to comment!