Novo Nordisk CEO Mike Doustdar on Wednesday mentioned the corporate is aiming to seize round 15 million new sufferers, no less than initially, when Medicare begins overlaying weight problems remedies for the primary time later this 12 months.
Round 67 million Individuals are lined by Medicare, however “once you check out particularly our merchandise and the goal group, I feel round 15 million individuals could be an excellent quantity to focus on,” he advised CNBC in an interview.
Medicare is slated to start out overlaying weight problems medicines for the primary time later this 12 months below the landmark “most favored nation” drug pricing offers that Novo and its chief rival Eli Lilly struck with President Donald Trump in November.
Well being consultants say the long-awaited protection might broaden the marketplace for the medicines and spur extra non-public insurers to cowl them. Some consultants estimate that 20 million to 30 million Medicare sufferers are affected by weight problems and associated situations.
Doustdar mentioned Medicare protection, together with the launch of Novo’s new weight problems capsule and different elements, ought to assist the corporate progressively enhance prescription volumes and offset decrease costs within the U.S. following that settlement with Trump.
However he mentioned he would not count on Medicare entry to weight problems remedies to open up in a single day.
“Now, it will be nice if we might discover a approach to get entry very, very quick. However I feel that might be a bit naive,” Doustdar mentioned, pointing to the gradual adoption seen amongst eligible sufferers with industrial insurance coverage.
It is a barely extra conservative tone on the preliminary affect of Medicare protection in comparison with Lilly, which has cited that protection as a key tailwind to its steerage this 12 months. Final week, Lilly mentioned it expects Medicare protection to return on-line by July.
In the meantime, Doustdar mentioned Novo is within the midst of negotiations with the federal government on “precisely which month, which week that’s going to be opening.”
Closing the market share hole
Novo is below stress to claw again market share within the booming GLP-1 area from Lilly and cheaper, compounded copycats. Final week, Lilly mentioned its share of the U.S. weight problems and diabetes drug market elevated to 60.5% within the fourth quarter, whereas Novo’s was 39.1%.
Novo has additionally highlighted a spot within the “desire share” for its weight reduction remedy Wegovy versus Lilly’s rival injections. Within the U.S., Novo estimates that between 7 and eight sufferers out of 10 go to Lilly.
When requested how Novo plans to shut that hole, Doustdar mentioned a technique to take action is “to do higher on the capsule.” The corporate’s Wegovy weight problems capsule has a head begin in comparison with Lilly’s upcoming oral drug, orforglipron, which is predicted to win approval from the Meals and Drug Administration in the course of the second quarter.
Mike Doustdar, left, CEO of Novo Nordisk, and David Ricks, CEO of Eli Lilly, pay attention as President Donald Trump speaks within the Oval Workplace throughout an occasion about weight-loss medication on Nov. 6, 2025.
Andrew Caballero-Reynolds | Afp | Getty Pictures
Doustdar mentioned Novo’s capsule is barely simpler than Lilly’s primarily based on separate medical trials, displaying 16.6% weight reduction in comparison with 12.4% with Lilly’s oral drug.
“For those who use these two numbers, mainly you’ve a 40% distinction between the efficacy of those tablets,” he mentioned. “I feel that is going to be a really most important, most important promoting level of the capsule.”
However Doustdar additionally pointed to the upcoming approval and launch of a better dose – 7.2 milligram – of Wegovy that would assist win market share from Lilly’s weight problems remedy Zepbound.
That greater dose helps sufferers lose round 21% of their weight, which is “very a lot on par” with the best dose of Zepbound, he mentioned. Zepbound’s greater efficacy has been a key think about driving extra sufferers and prescribers away from selecting Wegovy, which has proven round 15% weight reduction on common in medical trials.
“When that involves the market, my thought, my want, my hope is that individuals will understand, OK, now now we have two merchandise with related efficacy,” he mentioned.
