All Brands Owned by Novo Nordisk

Who owns Novo Nordisk?
Novo Nordisk A/S is publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NVO) and Nasdaq Copenhagen (NOVO-B). The Novo Nordisk Foundation, through its holding company Novo Holdings A/S, controls the majority of voting shares, making it the effective controlling shareholder. The foundation is one of the world's largest philanthropic foundations, with assets exceeding DKK 800 billion. Institutional investors hold the majority of publicly traded B shares, including Vanguard Group, BlackRock, and State Street Global Advisors.

Is Novo Nordisk publicly traded?
Yes, Novo Nordisk A/S is publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange under ticker NVO and on Nasdaq Copenhagen under ticker NOVO-B. The company has been publicly listed for decades. The stock experienced significant volatility, losing nearly 50% of its value in the year preceding the 2026 guidance announcement, when it dropped 17% on the forecast of -5% to -13% adjusted sales growth.

What is Novo Nordisk's revenue?
Novo Nordisk reported FY2025 net sales of DKK 309 billion (approximately $44 billion), up 10% at constant exchange rates, with operating profit growth of 6%. For 2026, the company guides adjusted sales growth of -5% to -13% at constant exchange rates, reflecting pricing pressures including the USD 4.2 billion 340B Drug Pricing Program reversal, the MFN agreement with the US administration, reduced Medicaid coverage for obesity medications, and competition from Eli Lilly.

Who is the CEO of Novo Nordisk?
Mike Doustdar was appointed CEO in August 2025, succeeding Lars Fruergaard Jørgensen. Doustdar previously served as Executive Vice President and head of International Operations. The leadership change followed several profit downgrades and the company losing ground to US rival Eli Lilly. Doustdar faces the challenge of navigating what he described as a year of "unprecedented pricing pressure" while positioning the company for volume growth through lower prices and expanded access.

What is the Wegovy pill?
The Wegovy pill is the first oral GLP-1 receptor agonist tablet, launched in the US in January 2026. It contains semaglutide and is priced between $149 and $299 per month for cash payers, significantly lower than the injectable version. The pill reached 50,000 US prescriptions per week by late January 2026. The Wegovy pill provides a convenience advantage over injectable GLP-1 competitors and represents Novo Nordisk's strategy to expand access through lower pricing and easier administration.

When was Novo Nordisk founded?
Novo Nordisk's origins trace back to 1923, when the Nordic Insulin Laboratory was founded in Copenhagen by August Krogh, a Nobel Prize-winning professor, and his wife Marie Krogh, a physician with diabetes. In 1925, Thorvald Pedersen left Nordisk and founded Novo Terapeutisk Laboratorium, creating a competitor. The two companies merged in 1989 to form Novo Nordisk A/S, creating one of the world's largest diabetes care companies.

What is Novo Nordisk's competitive position?
Novo Nordisk is the global leader in diabetes care and one of two dominant players in the GLP-1 market, alongside Eli Lilly. The company faces intensifying competition from Eli Lilly's Mounjaro (diabetes) and Zepbound (obesity), which have gained market share. Novo Nordisk's next-generation candidate CagriSema reported disappointing results in late 2024, narrowing its pipeline advantage. The Wegovy pill launch in January 2026 provides a differentiation point as the first oral GLP-1 on the market.

What is the Novo Nordisk Foundation?
The Novo Nordisk Foundation is one of the world's largest philanthropic foundations, with assets exceeding DKK 800 billion. Through its holding company Novo Holdings A/S, the foundation controls the majority of voting shares in Novo Nordisk A/S, making it the effective controlling shareholder. The foundation's grants support scientific research, health programs, social causes, and humanitarian initiatives. This ownership model links Novo Nordisk's corporate profitability to societal benefit through the foundation's philanthropic activities.