Novo Nordisk a/s. NYSE: NVO He announced that his GLP-1 drugs in chronic obesity, with Ozempic and Wegovy brands, are no longer in deficiency. This led to the fact that the United States Products and Medications Office took half -Glutid, an active ingredient in both, from a list of drug lack of drugs on February 21, 2025.
This announcement directed shock through shares HIS & HES Health Inc. NYSE: HimsBy causing an immediate sale of 25% of the news from $ 59.60 to $ 49.28 and continued to sink by another 33% to $ 32.90 in the following days. New Nordisk fell by 10% in the market open on March 10.
GLP-1 oligopoly industry, including the manufacturer Eli Lilly & Co. NYSE: LlyThe creator of Tyrzepatid called the Mounjaro and Zepbound drug brand, and again sealed his dominance in the medical sector. Nevertheless, Novo Nordisk took another step to crush his competitors and score another nail in the coffin when he reduced prices by more than 50%.
Death transaction for components
When the supplies of semaglutide and thyrzepatide were reduced, the drugs were placed in the FDA drug shortage. This special situation under the age of 503b allowed the compilation of laboratories and objects to make components of popular drugs to reduce weight without the need to undergo a strict FDA approval process. These treatment methods are not such as generics that are virtual duplicates of the source drugs, but compiled versions that can only have an active ingredient, but not the same formula.
Many consider this a potentially dangerous loophole without the process of approval of the regulatory bodies of the FDA.
Nevertheless, this was extremely profitable for composite laboratories and sellers of composite versions, such as it and her, in which membership increased by 45% to 2.2 million people, and revenue – 69% – up to $ 1.5 billion. USA in 2024. Their version of Semaglutide was sold for less than 70% of the price (IE, Wegovy for $ 4 1.349.02). Autimics in the amount of 4.39.02). Autimimics in the amount of 4.39.02). per month, depending on the payment plan.
Novocare pharmacy for $ 499 Wegovy
Having taken the page from Eli Lilly and their online apects Lillydirect, Novo Nordisk launched Novocare Pharmacy, its online use with direct consumer (DTC), where patients can get Wegovy for $ 499 a month, paying money without the use of insurance. This applies to patients with recipes without insurance or commercial insurance without coating.
This option opens the door for patients who want to try Wegovy, but do not have a coating. This also allows patients using composite versions to switch to an authentic version after the components have stopped production. The total number of Wegovy sales from Novo Nordisk amounted to $ 8.2 billion. Wegovy was launched in June 2021.
While Lilly first opened her online apartment, they did not go so far that they offered money discounts, such as Novo Nordisk. It can also start the race to the bottom between oligopolies. Nevertheless, Zepbound, as it turned out, is more effective for losing weight than Wegovy, since it is aimed at two hormones, GLP-1 and GIP. The total number of Zepbound sales amounted to $ 4.93 billion in 2024 for Lilly. Zepbound had a later launch in November 2023. Tyrzepatid was removed from the list of lack of drugs in December 2024.
Incidentally, Novo Nordisk shares spent 17% before the announcement of FDA drugs by the disappointing results of their experimental drug for obesity, which showed only 22.7% of weight loss after 68 weeks, skipping the target of 25%.
The next generation of GLP-1 drugs is aimed at 30% weight loss
While Novo Nordisk first got into Paydirt with an intertwine on Ozempic for weight loss, Lilly surpassed them when they released Zepbound for obesity compared to legging. In separate clinical trials, Zepbound produced 72-week average weight loss from 19 to 20%, while Vegovy demonstrated from 14 to 15%. Novo Nordisk, CAGRISEMA’s own double experimental drug, demonstrated 22.7% of weight loss, which was still under its 25% goal.
CAGRISEMA falls further in the test of a late stage, but there is a warning
What is even worse, on March 10, 2025, Novo Nordisk reported that its CAGRISEMA FASE 3 phase overdatens 2 studies of the late stage CAGRISEMA, revealed only 13.7% weight loss compared to 3.1% of placebo in patients with excess diabetes for 68-week, which was shortly from 15% or higher expectations. His current drug for obesity, Wegovy, had 15% average weight loss at a 68-week mark.
Nevertheless, the new noted that 61.9% of patients used the highest dosage. If all patients were in the highest dosage, then weight loss would be 15.7%. This study used Flexible protocolLike the study of “rethinking 1”, which allows patients to change their dosages during research. Patients in the Revision 2 study also had diabetes and were 5 kg heavier than patients in the first study.
Nevertheless, the retreat by testing the late stage caused the mood to be acidic to the drug, having achieved its goal to reduce weight by 25%, as evidenced by the sale and decay.
The triple Lilly agonist in the next generation GLP-1 looks very promising
Lilly also worked on her next generation GLP-1 Retratrutide, which is a triple agonist aimed at GLP-1, GIP and Glucagon. The 48-week phase 2 in the highest dose showed that the average weight loss was 24.2% of the body weight, which was completed in 2023. Phase 3 study can lead to average weight loss in the amount of 25 to 30%. Although there is no exact date, there are assumptions that it can request the approval of the FDA in 2025.
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