Copenhagen, May 6, 2026 (AFP)
Shares in Danish pharmaceuticals giant Novo Nordisk soared Wednesday after the firm, battling fierce competition for anti-obesity treatments, reported a 67 percent jump in first quarter net profit and raised 2026 forecasts.
From January to April, the group's net profit came in at 48.56 billion kroner (6.5 billion euros, $7.6 billion).
For the year as a whole the company expects a decline of between four and 12 percent in sales -- compared with the five-to-13 percent decline previously announced.
The change is thanks to an "upward revision of sales forecasts for GLP-1 products" Wegovy and Ozempic, Novo Nordisk's two flagship treatments.
Shares soared more than eight percent in early trading after the results' release.
Ozempic, available as an injection, has been widely taken up for its weight-loss properties. It is a diabetes medication, whereas Wegovy, available as both an injection and a tablet, is designed to aid weight loss.
The Wegovy tablet is currently available only in the United States, where it has been a major success with more than 200,000 prescriptions per week, the company noted.
It is expected to be rolled out across other markets in the second half of 2026.
Up 32 percent at constant exchange rates, Novo Nordisk's first-quarter revenue came in at 96.82 billion kroner, well above FactSet analysts' expectations of 71.141 billion kroner.
Revenue rose 22 percent in the obesity sector to nearly 21 billion kroner but fell 12 percent in the diabetes sector to 45 billion kroner, and was off two percent to 4.2 billion kroner for rare diseases.
cbw/cw/st
Sumber : AFP