Novo Nordisk's Wegovy pill sales surge, setting path for multi-blockbuster status amid strong Q1 results.

Novo Nordisk's oral weight-loss drug Wegovy is rapidly gaining traction, with US weekly prescriptions surpassing 200,000, positioning it as a potential multi-blockbuster product. UBS raised its sales forecast to $2.2 billion for the year, up from $1.8 billion, following strong first-quarter results where operating profit rose 77% year-on-year. The pill is priced attractively compared to the injectable version and is mainly sold as a cash-pay product, driving faster uptake. However, competition is intensifying, and concerns remain about the company's reliance on semaglutide as the main active molecule. Novo plans to launch the oral pill internationally in the second half of the year and has adjusted its full-year guidance to reflect stronger pill sales offset by pricing pressures on other products.