Novo Nordisk raises 2026 forecast on Wegovy pill

Novo Nordisk raised its full-year 2026 forecast on Tuesday and reported higher second-quarter operating profit, citing strong sales of new forms of its weight-loss drug Wegovy.

The Danish pharmaceutical company, which makes Ozempic and Wegovy, launched a tablet form of Wegovy in the United States in January. The pill was recently approved for use in Europe.

Novo Nordisk said full-year adjusted sales growth and adjusted operating profit are now expected to be down between 0% and 6%. In May, it had forecast declines of 4% to 12%.

President and chief executive Mike Doustdar said the Wegovy portfolio remained a key growth driver in 2026, citing rapid adoption of the pill in the United States and early uptake outside the US. The company said the pill has reached more than five million prescriptions in the US since launch.

In the second quarter, adjusted sales rose 7% from a year earlier at constant exchange rates to 78.4 billion kroner, or $12 billion. Adjusted operating profit rose 11% to 33.4 billion kroner.