Is Novo Nordisk losing ground to Eli Lilly?
In obesity, yes — Zepbound sold $4 billion in Q1 2026 versus Wegovy's $2.7 billion. Novo has fought back with a 7.2mg Wegovy approved in March 2026, a false advertising lawsuit against Lilly, and government pricing deals.
In obesity, yes. Novo was first to market with Wegovy but later lost the lead to Lilly's Zepbound. After replacing its CEO and issuing multiple profit warnings, Novo counterattacked with an oral version of Wegovy and a high-dose 7.2mg injection approved in March 2026, which produced average weight loss of about 18.8% in a 72-week trial. In the first quarter of 2026, Zepbound sold $4 billion compared with about $2.7 billion for Wegovy.
The competitive pressure explains Novo's decision in July 2026 to sue Lilly for false advertising, and its use of price cuts and government deals to regain share. Novo also faces patent challenges abroad, including a Sandoz suit in Europe's Unified Patent Court and generic semaglutide approvals in India after its patent there expired in March 2026.