Novo Nordisk lifts guidance as Wegovy pill drives quarterly growth

Novo Nordisk raised its full-year 2026 outlook after reporting first-quarter results on Tuesday, saying strong demand for the Wegovy pill helped drive growth.

The company said the oral Wegovy launch in the United States on January 5 has gathered momentum quickly. Weekly prescriptions for the pill exceeded 200,000 by the week ending April 17, according to the company’s release.

Novo Nordisk said first-quarter sales for the Wegovy pill reached DKK 2.256 billion. It also reported adjusted operating profit of DKK 32,858 million for the quarter.

The better outlook came despite continued pricing pressure, which weighed on adjusted earnings. Even so, the company said the launch of the new pill and broader obesity-care sales supported the revised guidance.

Reuters reported that the company slightly raised its 2026 outlook after first-quarter profit beat forecasts. The company’s own results page confirmed the first-quarter update was released on May 6.

Novo Nordisk’s latest numbers show the importance of Wegovy to its growth story as it tries to widen access to obesity treatment and sustain sales momentum through the rest of the year.