Novo Nordisk rebrands as Novo as it trails Lilly in US obesity market
Novo's rebrand comes as it trails Eli Lilly in US obesity medicines, a competition that shapes what obesity and diabetes drugs are available and covered for patients.
Novo Nordisk said Monday it will rebrand itself as "Novo" and adopt a new corporate culture, part of an effort by CEO Mike Doustdar to turn around the Danish drugmaker as it loses ground to Eli Lilly in obesity medicines [1][2].
The company will keep Novo Nordisk as its legal name, which dates to the 1989 merger of two Danish firms, Novo Terapeutisk Laboratorium and Nordisk Insulinlaboratorium [1]. The new brand carries the slogan "Lasting Health Starts Now," which Novo said is meant to build "relevance and trust" with the public and bring "breakthrough science closer to people's daily lives" [1].
In an interview with CNBC, Doustdar said the rebrand and the culture shift are "part of the same package" as the company tries to win back customers from Lilly [1]. "I think there's no secret that over the last four or five years, the external environment and what has happened to Novo Nordisk has really made us reflect how we need to readjust and rethink about the next decade to come and what shifts are needed in our strategic direction," he said [1].
Novo listed four principles for its new culture: innovating with patients as the primary focus, raising performance to "create greater value for all stakeholders," setting clearer priorities and simpler workflows, and never compromising on patient safety and ethics [1].
The market numbers behind the rebrand
In the second quarter, Novo held 38.8% of the US branded obesity market, while Lilly held 60.9%, according to an Eli Lilly earnings presentation that cited IQVIA data [1].
Novo's shares have fallen about 15% this year despite the launch of an oral version of its obesity drug Wegovy, which surpassed 3 million prescriptions as of June [1]. STAT reported that the shares are down nearly 20% over the past year, part of a decline since a 2024 peak when Novo was Europe's most valuable company [2]. The two outlets measured different periods: about 15% so far this year [1] and nearly 20% over the last 12 months [2].
The sources also differ on a recent pipeline setback. CNBC reported that Novo scrapped three trials of an experimental cardiovascular drug [1]. STAT referred in a headline to two halted cardiovascular trials of a drug aimed at lowering inflammation [2].
The oral Wegovy pill had a head start over a rival weight loss pill from Lilly called Foundayo (orforglipron) [1].
Why it matters for patients
Novo's share of the US branded obesity market is a measure of how widely its obesity medicines are being prescribed relative to Lilly's, and competition between the two companies is one of the forces that shapes which drugs appear on insurance formularies, what patients pay at the pharmacy counter, and how aggressively each company markets to consumers.
The rebrand itself does not change any medicine's name, label or ingredients. Novo's obesity and diabetes products are semaglutide, sold as Ozempic, Wegovy and Rybelsus; Lilly's are tirzepatide, sold as Mounjaro and Zepbound, plus the pill Foundayo, which is orforglipron. None of the sources say the corporate name change will alter pricing, insurance coverage, patient assistance programs or supply.
What happens next
Novo is preparing to detail its business strategy changes at a Capital Markets Day on Sept. 21 [1]. Whether that update includes anything that affects US patients — such as pricing, coverage arrangements, manufacturing or new products — has not been disclosed. No timeline has been reported for when the "Novo" brand will appear on packaging, patient materials or company communications.
Sources
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