Novo Nordisk Eyes Five Blockbuster Drug Launches by 2030 Amid Patent Pressures
Novo Nordisk's Strategic Plans and Market Challenges
By Patrick Wingrove and Louise Rasmussen
Ambitious Drug Launch Goals and Revenue Targets
LONDON, Sept 21 (Reuters) - Novo Nordisk aims to launch more than five blockbuster drugs by 2030 and to deliver more than 150 billion Danish crowns ($23 billion) in pipeline sales in 2035, its CEO Mike Doustdar said at its Capital Markets Day in London.
Patent Expirations and Market Concerns
The company is racing to reassure markets that it can navigate patent expirations for semaglutide — the active ingredient in its anti-obesity drugs Ozempic and Wegovy franchises — in the early 2030s.
Shares in the company fell as much as 9% as analysts questioned the Danish drugmaker's pricing power and dealmaking strategy ahead of looming patent expiries.
Next-Generation Obesity Injectables Rollout
Management on Monday detailed a multi-year rollout for its next-generation obesity injectables, targeting a launch of its CagriSema combination early next year, followed by standalone cagrilintide and high-dose CagriSema in 2028, before advancing zenagamtide.
Scaling Up Patient Reach and Manufacturing
Doustdar said Novo aims to reach more than 60 million patients globally by 2030 and scale up manufacturing tenfold to supply 15 million patients with oral obesity therapies by the end of the decade.
Expansion of Oral Drug Portfolio
Novo is also accelerating expansion of its portfolio of pills and aims to have at least five oral assets in clinical trials before the end of this year.
Record Prescription Numbers for Oral Wegovy
Doustdar said Novo's oral Wegovy pill has achieved a record 7 million prescriptions in the U.S. to date, noting that 90% of those sales are flowing through direct cash-pay channels.
Corporate Restructuring and Workforce Changes
Employee Departures and Organizational Impact
Novo also said total departures linked to its corporate restructuring have reached 13,000 employees, following an initial round of 9,000 cuts and an additional 4,000 subsequent exits.
Financial Context
($1 = 6.5096 Danish crowns)
(Reporting by Patrick Wingrove, writing by Louise Rasmussen; Editing by Emelia Sithole-Matarise and Barbara Lewis)
