①Novo Nordisk The third-quarter financial report showed that its quarterly sales increased by 15% year-on-year, of which sales of diabetes and obesity care business increased by 12% and obesity care business increased by 37%; ② Novo Nordisk expects sales to grow by 8% to 11% and operating profit to grow by 4% to 7% in 2025, narrowing its performance guidance due to a downward revision of the expected growth of GLP-1 therapy.
Novo Nordisk released its third-quarter earnings report on Wednesday and warned that growth of its drugs Wegovy and Ozempic, used to treat obesity and diabetes, will slow.
The company's third-quarter sales were 74.98 billion Danish kroner, compared to an estimated 76.68 billion Danish kroner; third-quarter net profit was 20.01 billion Danish kroner (approximately US$3.1 billion), compared to an estimated 20.8 billion Danish kroner.
At constant exchange rates, Novo Nordisk's sales increased by 15% year-on-year and operating profit increased by 10% in the first nine months. In the third quarter alone, sales and operating profit increased by 11% and 21% year-on-year, respectively.
Sales in the diabetes and obesity care business grew by 12%, primarily driven by... This growth came from obesity care services, which saw a 37% increase. Among these, weight-loss drugs... Wegovy reported sales of 18% year-on-year in the third quarter, reaching 20.35 billion Danish kroner, slightly below analysts’ expectations of 21.35 billion Danish kroner.
Looking ahead to the full year, Novo Nordisk expects sales to grow by 8% to 11% in 2025 at constant exchange rates, up from its previous forecast of 8% to 14%; operating profit is expected to grow by 4% to 7%, up from its previous forecast of 4% to 10%.
Novo Nordisk President and CEO Mike Doustdar noted that despite strong sales growth in the first nine months of 2025, the company had to narrow its performance guidance due to a downward revision of growth expectations for GLP-1 therapies.
He added that Novo Nordisk has agreed to acquire Akero, thereby adding a best-in-class asset to its MASH (metabolic steatohepatitis) F4 stage and initiating a Phase 3 clinical trial of cangravitide (another weight loss drug ingredient) for weight management to remain competitive in the market.
Novo Nordisk's shares, listed in Copenhagen, have fallen by more than 50% this year, as a series of adverse factors have shaken investors' confidence in what was once Europe's most valuable company.
After the reorganizationNovo Nordisk is actively acquiring other companies, and last week it joined the bidding for Metsera, a US obesity biotechnology company, in an attempt to oust Pfizer. This acquisition highlights Novo Nordisk's more proactive strategy following the change of its board of directors, after investors had previously criticized it for lagging behind its main competitor , Eli Lilly. .
This aligns with Novo Nordisk's new CEO Doustdar's commitment to building a robust next-generation pipeline of diabetes and obesity treatments, as the company prepares for the expiration of patents on smegraglutide, the active ingredient in Wegovy and Ozempic.
Markus Manns, portfolio manager at Union Investment, points out that if Metera's weight-loss drug is successfully developed, Novo Nordisk's acquisition would help enhance its market position in the obesity field. However, this could involve antitrust issues and whether Pfizer would make a follow-up offer, creating a new game.
Meanwhile, the U.S. government is accelerating negotiations with weight-loss drug giants Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly , demanding significant price reductions for their drugs to alleviate the cost burden on American patients. Reports indicate that the two companies are about to announce an agreement with the U.S. government.
(Article source: CLS)
