Novo Nordisk revealed that the UK’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has approved the Wegovy pill, following in the footsteps of the U.S. FDA.
- Wegovy pills are already approved in the U.S. and the UAE.
- Since its U.S. launch on Jan. 5, 2026, following FDA approval, the Wegovy pill has achieved one of the strongest pharmaceutical launches by prescription volume.
- Separately, Novo also stated that it immediately launched an investigation with the assistance of external cybersecurity experts and is in contact with relevant authorities after identifying a security incident.
Shares of Novo Nordisk (NVO) rose as much as 3% on Thursday after UK regulators approved the company’s Weogovy pill, though the company also announced that it has detected an IT security incident involving unauthorized access to a limited number of its internal IT systems.
Earlier in the day, Novo Nordisk revealed that the UK’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has approved the Wegovy pill in patients with obesity or overweight with at least one weight-related comorbidity. It is expected to become available via private prescription in the UK within weeks. The approval in the UK follows the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s approval of the pill in December 2025.
Novo said that the approval is based on data from a late-stage trial where adults with obesity receiving semaglutide tablets 25 mg achieved ~14% weight loss compared to about 2% with placebo after 64 weeks, regardless of adherence to the treatment.
This marks the first daily GLP-1 receptor agonist approved for weight management in the United Kingdom and makes the UK the first country in Europe to authorize the oral formulation. Oral weight loss drugs are expected to be the next big advancement in the obesity drug marketplace, as patients look for easier forms of administering the drug than injectables.
Since its U.S. launch on January 5, 2026, following FDA approval, the Wegovy pill has achieved one of the strongest pharmaceutical launches by prescription volume in recent U.S. history. As of early June 2026, more than 3 million prescriptions had been written in just over five months. The pill is also approved in the United Arab Emirates.
NVO Investigates Cybersecurity Incident
However, later in the day, Novo also stated that it immediately launched an investigation with the assistance of external cybersecurity experts and is in contact with relevant authorities after identifying a security incident. As part of its response, Novo Nordisk has implemented multiple security measures, including temporarily taking certain internal IT systems offline to protect its environment. It is working to restore the affected systems in a controlled and secure manner, the company said, noting that the process will take time.
Core business operations remain unaffected and continue to run normally, the company emphasized.
During the ongoing investigation, Novo Nordisk discovered that certain non-public data, including personal data, was copied externally without authorization. The company said it is informing impacted parties as appropriate.
How Did NVO Retail Traders React?
On Stocktwits, retail sentiment around NVO stock fell from ‘extremely bullish’ to ‘bullish’ territory over the past 24 hours, while message volume stayed at ‘high’ levels.
A Stocktwits user sees the stock gaining momentum.
According to data from Koyfin, 6 of the 26 analysts covering NVO rate it ‘Buy’ or higher, while 18 rate it ‘Hold,’ and two rate it ‘Sell’ or ‘Strong Sell.’
NVO stock has fallen 16% this year.
For updates and corrections, email newsroom[at]stocktwits[dot]com.<
