Wegovy and Ozempic owner dealt blow as next-gen weight-loss drug is branded ‘obsolete’

The Guardian - World NewsEN 2 min read 100% complete by Julia KolleweFebruary 23, 2026 at 03:26 PM

AI Summary

medium article 2 min

Novo Nordisk, the maker of Wegovy and Ozempic, experienced a setback when its new weight-loss drug, CagriSema, was deemed "obsolete" after disappointing clinical trial results. The late-stage study, involving 809 participants over 84 weeks, showed CagriSema achieved 23% average weight loss, falling short of the 25.5% achieved by Eli Lilly's Zepbound. This failure to demonstrate non-inferiority to Zepbound caused Novo Nordisk's shares to plummet 16%. Analysts suggest the results cast doubt on CagriSema's future market viability and its ability to revive Novo Nordisk's sales, which have been impacted by competition from Eli Lilly. The news significantly impacted Novo Nordisk's stock, while boosting Eli Lilly's.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Denmark 40% Deutsche Bank 40% UBS 40% AL Sydbank 50% Emmanuel Papadakis 50% Søren Løntoft Hansen 60% Zepbound 70% Eli Lilly ×380% Ozempic ×380% Wegovy ×380% Novo Nordisk ×990% CagriSema ×1095%

Keywords

cagrisema 90% weight-loss drug 90% novo nordisk 80% weight loss 80% tirzepatide 70% clinical trials 70% wegovy 60% ozempic 60% glp-1 60% pharmaceuticals 50%