Novo Nordisk says notices nearly complete for 9,000 job cuts

Novo Nordisk has notified employees affected by its plan to cut about 9,000 jobs across the "vast majority" of the countries where it operates, CEO Mike Doustdar said in a LinkedIn post on Friday, Oct. 31, 2025 ^[1][2]. The company said the pace of the notices varied by country because of local labor laws ^[1][2].

Doustdar wrote that the company had "now notified impacted colleagues in the vast majority of our geographies, though the pace varies according to differences in local laws," adding, "In all our interactions, we have always sought to operate with transparency and respect." ^[1][2]

The cuts are part of a restructuring Doustdar launched in September 2025 as Novo Nordisk faces competition in the weight-loss drug market from Eli Lilly ^[1][2]. Reuters put the total at around 9,000 positions ^[2]. Novo Nordisk sells semaglutide as Ozempic, Wegovy and Rybelsus, and Wegovy competes with Eli Lilly's weight-loss medicines ^[1][2]. The company has said the restructuring is meant to sharpen its focus on obesity and diabetes therapies while improving cost efficiency and commercial execution ^[1].

Layoff notices reportedly began going out on Oct. 14, 2025, and reached departments including human resources, clinical development, rare disease, medical and regulatory, legal, ethics and compliance, marketing and sales, finance and public affairs ^[1].

Doustdar also used the post to vouch for departing employees. "For anybody who sees a former colleague with the 'Open to Work' badge or who receives a CV on their desk from someone who spent time with us — they are good people, who have a lot to offer," he wrote ^[1].

On the Copenhagen Stock Exchange, Novo Nordisk shares closed 2.09% lower at 315.95 krona on Friday, down from 322.70 krona the previous session ^[1].

Why it matters for patients

Novo Nordisk makes Ozempic and Wegovy (semaglutide), two of the most widely used GLP-1 medicines in the United States. The departments named in the notices ^[1] include areas that touch the products patients rely on — medical and regulatory affairs, which handles safety information, and clinical development, which runs studies of new medicines.

Nothing in the company's statements or in the reporting says these cuts change how Ozempic, Wegovy or Rybelsus are supplied, prescribed or supported in the US. Whether manufacturing, supply chain or patient support teams were affected, and whether US employees received notices, has not been reported. The company has not said the restructuring will affect the availability of any medicine.

The cuts come as Novo Nordisk faces heightened competition from Eli Lilly in the US weight-loss market ^[2]. Whether the job reductions affect the price of Novo Nordisk's medicines or insurance coverage for them has not been reported.

What happens next

Novo Nordisk has not disclosed a date for finishing the remaining notifications, or its total headcount once the cuts are complete ^[1][2]. The company has not said whether more job cuts are planned. Doustdar described the restructuring as a necessary transformation aimed at strengthening Novo Nordisk's long-term growth strategy ^[1].