Oral weight loss drug Wegovy performs well, Novo Nordisk A/S Sponsored ADR Class B (NVO.US) stock price rebounds after two years of decline, up about 16% year-to-date.

After experiencing two consecutive years of declining stock prices, Danish pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk A/S Sponsored ADR Class B(NVO.US) saw a strong rebound at the beginning of the new year, outperforming its main competitor Eli Lilly(LLY.US) with the impressive prescription performance of its oral weight loss drug Wegovy tablets. Data shows that Novo Nordisk A/S Sponsored ADR Class B's stock price has risen by approximately 16% so far this year, while Lilly's stock price has fallen by about 4% during the same period. This reversal of performance is mainly attributed to Novo Nordisk A/S Sponsored ADR Class B's "first-mover advantage" in the oral weight loss drug market. The US regulatory agency FDA approved the market launch of Wegovy tablets in December last year, allowing it to officially enter the market at the beginning of this month, becoming the first approved oral obesity drug. The latest prescription data further highlights its market popularity. Media reports on Friday cited data from medical data analysis agency IQVIA, stating that as of the week ending on January 23, the number of prescriptions for Wegovy oral medication in the US had reached 26,109. Barclays analysts believe that this number demonstrates a strong start for the product in the market. Earlier market reports indicated that the once-daily GLP-1 drug received 18,410 prescriptions in its first week on the market, and the prescription volume exceeded 16,000 in the second full sales week, showing rapid growth momentum. Over the past two years, Novo Nordisk A/S Sponsored ADR Class B's stock price experienced significant declines in 2024 and 2025, contrasting sharply with Eli Lilly's strong growth achieved by capturing about 60% of the obesity drug market share. However, with Wegovy oral medication quickly gaining traction, Novo Nordisk A/S Sponsored ADR Class B is regaining investor confidence. Meanwhile, Lilly is still awaiting FDA approval for its oral weight loss drug Forglipron, and the market competition landscape may further evolve in the coming months.