Prognosis

Novo Nordisk Owner to Plow Obesity Drug Profit Into Green Market

  • Novo Holdings sees long-term returns in green investments
  • Fund has previously mostly invested in life science companies

Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy  weight-loss drug.

Photographer: Carsten Snejbjerg/Bloomberg
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The shareholder that controls Novo Nordisk A/S is responding to a downturn in green assets by ratcheting up investments with profits from the obesity drugmaker.

Novo Holdings, which controls 77% of the votes in what is now Europe’s most valuable company, will invest about 2 billion kroner ($290 million) in a new energy transition fund, expanding its portfolio of assets outside of health care. It’s also taken a 20% stake in the fund manager, Glentra Capital, it said on Thursday.