Novo Nordisk Raises 2026 Outlook on Surging Wegovy Demand in US
Novo Nordisk (NOVO-B.CO) on Wednesday raised its full-year 2026 guidance amid the rapid adoption of its GLP-1 therapies in the US, particularly the Wegovy pill.The Danish drugmaker noted that the Wegovy pill's US rollout marked the "strongest-ever" GLP-1 volume launch in the country, with 1.3 million total prescriptions in the first quarter alone and over 2 million since its Jan. 5 debut."The strong Wegovy performance, combined with continued growth in International Operations, has led us to raise our 2026 guidance for both adjusted sales and adjusted operating profit," Novo Nordisk President and Chief Executive Officer Mike Doustdar said.Excluding the impact of a reversal of a provision related to the US 340B Drug Pricing Program, the pharmaceutical giant now forecasts 2026 adjusted sales and operating profit to fall between 4% and 12% at constant exchange rates. The company previously anticipated a contraction of between 5% and 13%.Looking at Novo Nordisk's first-quarter performance, the company reported a 32% annual increase in constant-currency net sales to 96.82 billion kroner, boosted by the 340B provision reversal. Excluding the one-time gain, adjusted sales for the three months ended March 31 decreased by 4% to 70.01 billion kroner, as global GLP-1 volume growth was offset by reduced realized prices. The FactSet-compiled consensus expected sales of 71.14 billion kroner.While reported operating profit surged 65% at constant currency to 59.62 billion kroner due to the provision reversal, adjusted operating profit declined by 6% to 32.86 billion kroner. Reported net profit was up 67% to 48.56 billion kroner, while adjusted net profit edged down 3% to 29.48 billion kroner.Novo Nordisk anticipates bringing its Wegovy pill to markets outside the US in the latter half of 2026, subject to regulatory approval.