Novo Nordisk raises 2026 outlook as Wegovy pill prescriptions top 5 million

Novo Nordisk raised its 2026 guidance on August 4, 2026, after reporting second-quarter adjusted operating profit of DKK 33,389 million, and pointed to the Wegovy pill as a main driver of the increase ^[3][4].

Adjusted sales for the quarter rose 7% at constant exchange rates to DKK 78,488 million, and adjusted operating profit rose 11% at constant exchange rates ^[3][4]. On a reported basis the picture was different: net sales rose 3% at constant exchange rates, while reported operating profit fell 16% at constant exchange rates to DKK 27,061 million ^[4][5]. The company attributed that drop to DKK 6.3 billion in non-cash impairment charges tied to intangible pipeline assets, including DKK 4.0 billion related to monlunabant, and to a 340B rebate provision reversal recorded in the second quarter of 2025 ^[4][5].

New guidance still allows for a decline

Novo now expects adjusted sales growth of 0% to -6% at constant exchange rates for 2026, and the same range for adjusted operating profit growth ^[3]. That compares with the -4% to -12% range the company set on May 6, 2026 ^[3]. Both the old and new ranges include the possibility of lower sales and profit for the year; the raised guidance narrows that possibility rather than promising growth. Novo said the improved outlook is driven by increased expectations for GLP-1 product sales ^[3][4].

The Wegovy pill numbers

The Wegovy pill was launched in the US on January 5, 2026 ^[1]. Novo said it has reached more than 5 million prescriptions since launch, and that weekly prescriptions for the pill exceeded 265,000 in the week ending July 17 ^[4]. Total Wegovy prescriptions that week were around 575,000, and the company said its Wegovy franchise remains the market leader among branded obesity medicines in the US when measured by new patient starts ^[5].

Pill sales were DKK 3,218 million in the second quarter and DKK 5,474 million in the first half of 2026 ^[4][5]. In the first quarter, when the pill was only available in the US, prescriptions totaled about 1.3 million, with weekly prescriptions above 200,000 for the week ending April 17 ^[1].

"The Wegovy product portfolio remains a key growth driver for Novo Nordisk in 2026, led by the continued rapid adoption of Wegovy pill in the US, which has reached more than 5 million prescriptions since its launch, alongside encouraging early uptake in markets outside the US and the rollout of Wegovy HD (7.2 mg)," said Mike Doustdar, president and CEO of Novo Nordisk ^[4].

Wegovy HD, an injectable 7.2 mg dose of semaglutide, was approved by the FDA in March and launched in the US on April 7 ^[1]. Novo reported that the Wegovy pill and the 7.2 mg single-dose pen were both approved in the European Union in July, citing trial results of up to 16.6% mean weight loss for the pill (OASIS 4) and up to 20.7% for the 7.2 mg dose (STEP UP) ^[4][5]. Total obesity care sales rose 16% at constant exchange rates in the quarter, to DKK 23,152 million ^[4][5].

Not all coverage treated the results as a win. Reuters described the outlook increase as falling flat because Wegovy pill sales failed to impress ^[6].

Why it matters for patients

The Wegovy pill is an oral form of semaglutide, the same molecule as Ozempic, Wegovy injection and Rybelsus. Its growth means more US patients are starting an obesity GLP-1 as a tablet rather than an injection, and Novo says launches have begun in the United Arab Emirates and the UK, with European Union approval granted in July ^[4][5].

The commercial pressure behind these results comes from prices, not from supply: Novo reported that lower realized prices partly offset GLP-1 volume growth, and its raised guidance still includes the possibility of falling adjusted sales for 2026 ^[3][4]. Whether list prices, insurance coverage or patient out-of-pocket costs for the pill will change has not been disclosed in these results. The trial percentages described above are average weight-loss results from specific studies and are not predictions for any individual patient.

What happens next

Novo scheduled an earnings call for August 5, 2026 at 13:00 CEST (7:00 am EDT), according to the company announcement, though the financial report text lists the same call for August 4 at 13:00 CEST ^[3][4]. Novo plans to roll out the Wegovy 7.2 mg single-dose pen across the EU in the second half of 2026 and says additional Wegovy pill launches in select markets are planned in coming quarters ^[4][5].