Novo Nordisk Reportedly Eyes Launching Wegovy In Vials To Compete With Rival Eli Lilly

Bloomberg reported on Wednesday, citing Novo CEO Mike Doustdar, that the vials are slated to be introduced in the U.S. this year.

• It is unclear what the company intends to charge for the vials, the report said.
• Unlike Novo, Eli Lilly and Company already sells its obesity drug Zepbound in both injector pen and vial formats.  
• Novo also has a pill version of its obesity drug called Wegovy pill launched in early January to regain its slipping market share in the obesity segment.

Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk (NVO) is reportedly looking to sell its injectable Wegovy in vials in a move that mirrors rival Eli Lilly and Company (LLY).

Bloomberg reported on Wednesday, citing Novo CEO Mike Doustdar, that the vials are slated to be introduced in the U.S. this year, followed by launches in other countries.

It is unclear what the company intends to charge for the vials, the report said.  

Wegovy Upgrade

Presently, Novo sells Wegovy in injector pens. Unlike Novo, Eli Lilly sells its obesity drug Zepbound in both injector pen and vial formats. The vials were introduced about two years ago to increase supply, improve access, and offer a lower-cost option.

Injector pens are the standard auto-injector devices, often preferred for ease of use as they do not require manual drawing of medication. Meanwhile, vials require the use of a separate needle and syringe to draw up the medication.

Novo also has a pill version of its obesity drug called Wegovy pill launched in early January as it pushes to regain its slipping market share in the obesity segment.

Novo’s Disappointing Outlook

Novo now expects adjusted sales to fall between 5% and 13% in fiscal 2026, and operating profit could decline by up to 13%.

The company flagged concerns for the year including fierce competition, lower realized prices, and expiry of patent on the active ingredient in its best-selling Wegovy and Ozempic drugs in a few markets outside the U.S. while issuing the guidance earlier this month.

How Did Stocktwits Users React?

On Stocktwits, retail sentiment around NVO stock stayed within ‘bearish’ territory over the past 24 hours, while message volume fell from ‘extremely high’ to ‘high’ levels.

NVO stock is down 42% over the past 12 months. 

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