Novo Nordisk

NVO

Market cap $202B

Eli Lilly is performing very well as a business right now, which should please shareholders. Novo Nordisk has fallen behind Eli Lilly in the GLP-1 space and has warned that 2026 will be a difficult year.

Novo Nordisk's (NYSE:NVO) investor relations team presented at Deutsche Bank's European Champions Conference, with the broker maintaining its hold rating and DKK290 target price on the Danish pharma group. The key takeaway concerned the launch of Novo's oral semaglutide product, where the company confirmed that dose escalation patterns are not yet mirroring the trajectory seen with its injectable formulations.

Despite Wall Street skepticism, Novo Nordisk A/S is starting to catch up with Eli Lilly, the market leader in the GLP-1s market. This skepticism mainly reflects declining demand for Ozempic, as well as the weak performance of its long-acting insulin franchise. So, sales of Ozempic fell 12.6% quarter-on-quarter and 15% YoY to about DKK 27.83 billion in Q1.

Novo Nordisk is outpacing Eli Lilly in the oral weight loss market. However, Eli Lilly is still the overall leader in chronic weight management.

NVO and AMGN square off as GLP-1 leadership, pipeline depth and diversification shape a compelling healthcare stock comparison.

More than 70% of GLP-1 users in the UBS Evidence Lab survey are eating less fast food.

Novo Nordisk's EU label expansions may widen semaglutide use and boost volumes, but pricing pressure and Lilly rivalry can limit recovery.

Bagsværd, Denmark, 26 May 2026 – On 6 May 2026, Novo Nordisk initiated a share repurchase programme in accordance with Article 5 of Regulation No 596/2014 of the European Parliament and Council of 16 April 2014 (MAR) and the Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2016/1052 of 8 March 2016 (the "Safe Harbour Rules"). This programme is part of the overall share repurchase programme of up to DKK 15 billion to be executed during a 12-month period beginning 4 February 2026.

In the Large-Cap Pharmaceuticals industry, LLY, J&J, NVO and BAYRY are worth retaining as the industry shows some recovery.

New results from the landmark POSEIDON real-world evidence study at EAS Congress: 2 in 5 people with CVD have CV inflammation - higher risk of heart attack