Wegovy pill sales smash forecasts after launch as Novo Nordisk hikes guidance

People walk past a sign for Novo Nordisk’s annual general meeting at the entrance to the venue in Copenhagen, Denmark, March 26, 2026. Tom Little | Reuters Novo Nordisk hiked annual profit guidance on Wednesday, as the pharmaceutical group revealed its blockbuster weight-loss drugs performed better than expected in the first three months of the year. The Danish drugmaker said first-quarter sales jumped 32% on a constant currency basis to reach 96.8 billion Danish kroner ($15.2 billion), soaring above an analyst consensus of 71.3 billion kroner compiled by FactSet. Operating profit surged 65% year-on-year to 59.6 billion kroner, also hugely beating expectations of 31.7 billion kroner. On an adjusted basis, however, sales fell 4% and profits dropped 6%. Adjusted figures exclude a $4.2 billion non-recurring impact from a provision reversal related to the 340B Drug Pricing Program in the U.S., Novo said. The quarter was the first period covering sales of Novo's oral weight loss drug, the Wegovy pill, in the U.S. Sales of the pill amounted to 2.26 billion kroner, well above analyst estimates compiled by Reuters of 1.16 billion kroner. Despite accounting for only a fraction of total sales, investors are closely watching the sales trajectory of the pills, which is widening the market for these drugs. …