Novo Nordisk's weight-loss challenge in five charts

By Maggie Fick, Jacob Gronholt-Pedersen and Bhanvi Satija

LONDON/COPENHAGEN, Dec 23 (Reuters) - Novo Nordisk secured U.S. regulatory support for its weight-loss pill, ​giving the Danish drugmaker a changeable astatine reclaiming crushed mislaid ‌to rival Eli Lilly.

Booming income of Wegovy powered the steadfast to go Europe's astir invaluable ‌listed company, but it has mislaid implicit $400 cardinal successful marketplace capitalisation since the mediate of 2024 arsenic contention from Lilly and copycat rivals intensified.

The pill approval, which came precocious connected Monday, could spur a much-needed rebound for Novo ⁠after a bruising twelvemonth ‌of sliding shares, nett warnings and slowing Wegovy sales.

Novo is aiming to crook astir its fortunes nether caller CEO ‍Mike Doustdar, who took the helm successful August, and has since announced 9,000 occupation cuts globally to trim costs and refocus the firm.

Here are immoderate of the ​challenges facing Novo arsenic it looks to bolster income and fend ‌off rivals:

WEGOVY VS ZEPBOUND

Eli Lilly's rival cause Zepbound has overtaken Novo's Wegovy successful presumption of prescriptions successful the cardinal U.S. marketplace this year. With Wegovy, Novo was first-to-market with a highly effectual obesity treatment, which was approved successful the U.S. successful 2021. Lilly launched Zepbound successful precocious 2023.

LOSING GROUND

Novo's ⁠share terms has fallen steeply versus rivals ​over the past year.

VALUE PREMIUM SLIPPING

That has ​brought the company's price-earnings ratio backmost successful enactment with peers. It had antecedently commanded a wide premium.

RISING COSTS

The drugmaker's costs ‍have risen arsenic ⁠it spent billions to grow manufacturing and income capacity.

NO LONGER TOP DOG

Novo, valued astatine $650 cardinal successful June past year, has shed much ⁠than fractional of its worth since. Its latest marketplace capitalisation is supra $240 billion, including some ‌listed and unlisted stock.

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(Reporting by Maggie Fick, Bhanvi Satija and ‌Jacob Gronholt-Pedersen;Editing by Mark Potter, Kirsten Donovan)