New York, Jan 6, 2026, 10:40 EST — Regular session
- Novo Nordisk’s U.S.-listed shares rise about 4.7% on Tuesday morning
- Company rolls out oral Wegovy for self-pay patients at $149 a month for starter doses
- Investors watch early demand signals and the next read-through from a key healthcare conference on Jan. 13
Novo Nordisk A/S shares listed in New York as ADRs climbed about 4.7% to $57.71 on Tuesday, after touching an intraday high of $58.14.
The move extends a rebound sparked by the U.S. rollout of a pill version of Wegovy, a franchise that has become central to how investors value the Danish drugmaker’s growth story.
The launch matters now because the obesity market is shifting from a supply-driven boom to a fight over price, convenience and who pays. Novo needs the pill to widen demand without triggering a margin-eroding price war.
Novo began selling once-daily Wegovy tablets in the United States at $149 a month for the two lowest doses for self-paying patients, with the highest doses priced at $299, Reuters reported. The company also set a step-up in price for the 4 mg dose from April 15, and said higher doses will become available by the end of this week, while rival Eli Lilly has said it expects a decision in March on its own weight-loss pill. 1
In a U.S. press release, Novo said Wegovy pill is now broadly available through more than 70,000 pharmacies, including CVS and Costco, and through telehealth partners. “For many of them, that wait is over,” said Ed Cinca, the company’s senior vice president for marketing and patient solutions, pointing to trial results showing about 17% average weight loss at the highest dose in an on-treatment analysis. 2
UBS analyst Matt Weston said the $149 starting price was lower than expected, framing the move as another step in intensifying price competition across the sector. 3
Policy risk remains in the background. Novo’s head of U.S. public affairs, Jennifer Duck, has left the company, according to an internal memo seen by Reuters, as the drugmaker navigates tougher scrutiny in Washington over obesity drug prices. 4
But the upside case depends on follow-through: whether cash-pay demand is deep enough to support volume at lower prices, and whether discounting pulls down profitability faster than the pill expands the market. Any supply hiccup or tougher reimbursement stance could quickly cool sentiment.
