In Copenhagen, it’s May 11, 2026, just after midday—12:03 CEST.
- Semaglutide 2.4 mg led to a 15.4% reduction in body weight for adults 65 and up after 68 weeks, according to a new pooled analysis. Placebo, by comparison, only brought a 5.1% drop.
- Novo Nordisk’s B shares climbed in Copenhagen, changing hands at 301.20 crowns—a gain of 3.75%—according to delayed Bloomberg data.
- These numbers arrive as Novo looks to shore up its obesity business against Eli Lilly, banking on strong demand to make up for softer U.S. pricing.
Novo Nordisk A/S picked up new backing for its obesity lineup Monday, as a pooled analysis from the STEP trials found semaglutide produced significant weight loss among adults 65 and up—a population where physicians typically tread carefully due to frailty and complex health profiles.
This finding lands at a critical moment for Novo, as the company looks to expand Wegovy and Ozempic into new areas—just as the weight-loss drug scene is pivoting away from hard-to-find injectables toward cheaper pills that are easier to take. GLP-1s—these are drugs that imitate a gut hormone tied to appetite and blood sugar—have turned into a fierce turf war for Novo and Eli Lilly.
Sponsored by Novo, the analysis led by Prof Luca Busetto at the University of Padova and his team pulled together data from STEP 1, 3, 4, 5, 8, and 9. Out of 358 participants aged 65 and older—all with obesity or overweight but no diabetes—248 got semaglutide 2.4 mg, while 110 were given placebo.
After 68 weeks, those taking semaglutide dropped an average of 15.4% of their body weight, outpacing the placebo group’s 5.1% loss. Waistlines shrank by 14.3 cm with semaglutide, while placebo patients saw a 6.0 cm reduction.
Among older adults, 28.6% on semaglutide dropped at least 20% of their body weight, compared with just 2.7% for those on placebo. As for reaching a BMI under 27—a mark the release calls a “so-called healthy weight”—27.0% of people taking semaglutide got there, while only 5.5% of placebo users did. News-Medical
Busetto described the safety and efficacy profile as “consistent with” what’s been seen across the STEP programme, adding that these results “support the use” of semaglutide in this patient group. EurekAlert!
Novo shares tend to react quickly to hints the firm might regain ground, especially after recent hits from price drops and competing Lilly drugs. Last week, Reuters noted investors are eyeing oral weight-loss medications to see if these pills will actually attract fresh patients, not just pull current users from injectables.
Lilly is still the one to beat. Prescriptions for its Foundayo obesity pill reached 7,335 in the U.S. during the drug’s fourth week—analysts at Reuters called that a modest start, especially compared with Novo’s Wegovy pill so far.
Novo lifted its 2026 forecast last week, as first-quarter adjusted operating profit climbed to 32.86 billion Danish crowns. The company pointed to more than 200,000 Wegovy pill prescriptions filled in the week ending April 17, calling the rollout the strongest-ever GLP-1 volume launch in the U.S.
Chief Executive Mike Doustdar described Wegovy as a “strong start to 2026,” highlighting what he called the “rapid adoption of Wegovy pill.” He also noted that the Wegovy portfolio had been bolstered by U.S. approval of Wegovy HD, a higher-dose injectable. Novo Nordisk
Still, for older adults, the commercial story isn’t straightforward. Serious adverse events showed up in 19.0% of those taking semaglutide, compared with 12.7% on placebo. More cases of constipation and dizziness cropped up in the semaglutide group too. The release flagged conflicts of interest, with Novo employees listed as some of the study’s authors.
There’s also pressure on pricing. Novo’s adjusted U.S. sales dropped 11% in the first quarter, Reuters said, citing lower realised prices. Analysts point out that even with booming prescription numbers, the revenue picture could be clouded if patients stick with lower-cost starter doses or Lilly takes more share.
Novo has lined up 52 abstracts for the European Congress on Obesity in Istanbul, running May 12-15. The lineup covers data on oral semaglutide 25 mg, higher-dose Wegovy, the CagriSema combo, plus some real-world evidence for Wegovy. The company confirmed the slate in a statement.
