Novo Nordisk tells the EMA it will stop marketing Victoza in Europe

Novo Nordisk has notified the European Medicines Agency (EMA) that it plans to stop marketing Victoza across the European Union and European Economic Area by the end of 2026, citing commercial reasons ^[1]. Victoza contains liraglutide, an injectable medicine used along with diet and exercise to help control blood sugar in adults and children age 10 and older with type 2 diabetes ^[1]. It was first authorized for use across the EU on June 30, 2009 ^[1].

Victoza works by acting like a natural gut hormone called an incretin, which tells the pancreas to release more insulin after eating and helps bring blood sugar down ^[1]. In company studies, it lowered a blood sugar marker called HbA1c by amounts ranging from about 0.6 to 1.5 percentage points, depending on the study and dose, and it outperformed comparison drugs such as glimepiride in head-to-head trials ^[1]. In a large cardiovascular safety study of 9,340 people with type 2 diabetes and existing heart disease, followed for an average of 3.8 years, major cardiovascular events — stroke, heart attack, or cardiovascular death — occurred in 13% of people on Victoza versus 14.9% of those on placebo ^[1]. The most common side effects, affecting more than 1 in 10 patients, were nausea and diarrhea, which usually eased within a few weeks ^[1].

The EMA's notice does not change how Victoza is regulated in the United States. The US brand-name product remains on the market, but according to the development summary it is currently in shortage there [summary]. That leaves a split picture: European patients face a clear wind-down timeline, while American patients face ongoing supply uncertainty rather than a discontinuation announcement.

Why it matters for patients

For patients in the EU and EEA, this is an early warning rather than an immediate change. Victoza will still be available for now, but people who rely on it for type 2 diabetes management may eventually need to discuss switching to an alternative GLP-1 medicine or another diabetes treatment with their prescriber before the withdrawal takes effect ^[1].

For US patients, the situation is different. Victoza remains an approved option, but shortages can mean delays at the pharmacy, the need to call around to different pharmacies, or temporary reliance on a different dose or a similar medicine while supply is tight. The sources here do not specify how long the US shortage is expected to last or what is causing it [summary].

It's also worth noting that Victoza is an older-generation GLP-1 drug. Since its 2009 approval, newer semaglutide products (Ozempic, Wegovy, Rybelsus) and tirzepatide products (Mounjaro, Zepbound) have become more widely used for diabetes and weight management, though none of that market shift is detailed in the EMA source itself ^[1].

What happens next

Novo Nordisk's stated target is to fully stop marketing Victoza in the EU and EEA by the end of 2026 ^[1]. No specific interim dates, such as when new prescriptions might stop or when existing supplies might run out in individual countries, are given in the available EMA information ^[1]. It is not yet known from these sources how or when the US shortage will resolve, or whether Novo Nordisk has announced any related plans for the US market [summary].