Shares in Novo Nordisk surged 6.9% Tuesday, after the Wegovy maker secured approval of its GLP-1 tablet — a world first.
The U.S. Meals and Drug Administration’s approval of Novo Nordisk’s GLP-1 tablet offers the Danish pharmaceutical big a head begin over U.S. rival Eli Lilly.
The tablet’s beginning dose of 1.5 milligrams will likely be obtainable in pharmacies and through choose telehealth suppliers with financial savings provides for $149 per thirty days in early January, the agency stated.
Money-paying sufferers can entry it for a similar value through President Donald Trump’s direct-to-consumer web site, TrumpRx, in accordance with the deal Novo Nordisk struck along with his administration final month. Drug pricing has been prime of thoughts this 12 months because the U.S. appears to scale back the prices paid by shoppers.
The approval caps a turbulent 12 months for Novo, which has been marked by board drama, provide chain shortages, a bidding conflict in opposition to Pfizer, and criticisms over the execution of its U.S. technique.
Whereas Eli Lily is anticipated to launch its personal tablet quickly, Novo’s scientific knowledge appears “improbable,” Rajesh Kumar, who heads up European life Sciences and healthcare fairness analysis at HSBC, instructed CNBC’s “Squawk Field Europe” on Tuesday.
Novo’s tablet has meals and water restrictions, which can make it tougher for GPs to prescribe, Kumar stated, however famous that its tolerability and efficacy are higher than Eli Lilly’s tablet. “Novo truly may need an edge, and it’ll totally rely on how they execute,” he added.
— CNBC’s Annika Kim Constantino additionally contributed to this report.
