COPENHAGEN, Jan 18, 2026, 21:16 CET — Market closed.
Novo Nordisk A/S Class B shares (NOVOb.CO) surged 6.49% on Friday, closing at 388.9 Danish crowns after hitting a high of 391.3 crowns during the session. The stock is set to reopen Monday, with traders reacting to the latest Wegovy news.
Investors are weighing whether Novo’s once-daily Wegovy pill is gaining traction in the U.S. as the obesity drug market shifts toward a consumer-driven, cash-pay model. IQVIA data revealed 3,071 retail prescriptions filled within the first four days after its Jan. 5 launch. Novo described the “early signs” as positive but cautioned it’s too soon to draw firm conclusions. Reuters
Britain’s medicines regulator has greenlit a higher maximum weekly dose of semaglutide, Wegovy’s active ingredient, allowing adults with obesity to receive up to 7.2 mg per week, split into three 2.4 mg injections. The MHRA clarified this increased dose is restricted to patients with a body mass index of 30 or higher, and only after they’ve been on the 2.4 mg dose for at least four weeks.
Novo’s execs see higher-dose Wegovy as a major growth driver outside the U.S. Emil Kongshoj Larsen, the company’s EVP for international operations, told Reuters they expect to be “particularly busy with the high-dose Wegovy launches,” naming it their top priority beyond the U.S. CEO Mike Doustdar added that later trials suggest the 7.2 mg dose could trigger about 20% weight loss. Reuters
In New York, Novo’s U.S.-listed ADR closed Friday roughly 9% higher, hitting $62.33. Eli Lilly’s shares edged up about 0.5%, underscoring how closely the market watches the obesity-drug competition move, almost tick by tick.
GLP-1 drugs, or glucagon-like peptide‑1, replicate a gut hormone that suppresses appetite and helps regulate blood sugar. From a market perspective, the focus shifts rapidly to production capacity, pricing strategies, and reimbursement—particularly as the rise of pills expands the pool of eligible patients.
The upcoming session will probably focus on follow-through rather than just the jump seen on Friday. Investors will keep an eye on new prescription data in the weeks ahead, looking for evidence that expanded access to higher doses boosts demand without creating extra logistical headaches.
Trade can flip quickly. The higher-dose regimen complicates matters, and early prescription numbers offer only a brief glimpse. If follow-up fills stall or prices tighten, the rally could vanish just as fast as it appeared.
Novo plans to release its full-year 2025 results on Feb. 4, ahead of the Nasdaq Copenhagen open.
