Novo Nordisk (NVO) lifts 2026 outlook as obesity drug demand remains strong

Fiona Craig

Wed, May 6, 2026 astatine 5:35 AM CDT 2 min read

Novo Nordisk (NYSE:NVO) raised its full-year guidance connected Wednesday, citing continued beardown request for its obesity and diabetes treatments contempt softer underlying first-quarter results caused by pricing pressure.

The pharmaceutical radical said it present expects adjusted income and operating nett for 2026 to diminution betwixt 4% and 12% astatine changeless speech rates, representing a narrower contraction than antecedently anticipated and reflecting stronger expectations for its GLP-1 attraction portfolio.

Shares successful the Danish drugmaker climbed 7% successful aboriginal trading successful Copenhagen.

First-quarter results boosted by one-off U.S. pricing accommodation

Operating nett successful the archetypal 4th jumped 65% to 59.6 cardinal Danish crowns ($8.6 billion), supported by a one-time reversal related to the U.S. 340B Drug Pricing Program.

However, connected an adjusted basis, operating nett fell 6% to 32.9 cardinal crowns, portion adjusted gross declined 4% to 70.1 cardinal crowns arsenic little realised prices offset maturation successful income volumes.

Wegovy continues to thrust obesity attraction maturation

Sales of obesity therapies remained a cardinal maturation operator for the company, rising 22% astatine changeless speech rates, helped by continued request for Wegovy.

The recently launched oral mentation of Wegovy successful the United States generated quarterly income of 2.3 cardinal Danish crowns.

Adjusted income successful the U.S. marketplace declined 11% due to the fact that of pricing headwinds, portion planetary income accrued 6% connected the backmost of stronger volumes.

Analysts stay optimistic connected guidance outlook

“We proceed to spot the bottommost extremity of the guidance arsenic blimpish and expect Novo to decorativeness the twelvemonth successful the precocious fractional of the guidance,” analysts astatine Morgan Stanley said successful a probe note.

Novo Nordisk stated that broader entree to GLP-1 medicines and ongoing merchandise launches should proceed to enactment growth, though accrued competition, pricing unit and patent expirations are expected to measurement connected show during the remainder of the year.

Novo Nordisk banal price