The Novo Nordisk A/S headquarters — whose design was inspired by an insulin molecule — in Copenhagen, on June 25.

The Novo Nordisk A/S headquarters — whose design was inspired by an insulin molecule — in Copenhagen, on June 25.

Photographer: Carsten Snejbjerg/Bloomberg
The Big Take

The Weight-Loss Drug Frenzy Is Outrunning the Company Behind It

Ozempic and Wegovy have propelled Novo Nordisk to Europe’s second-most valuable company. Now it faces a struggle to keep up

Novo Nordisk A/S’s bestsellers Ozempic and Wegovy have given the Danish company a Hollywood sizzle. The drugs that help people lose significant amounts of weight were name-checked at the Oscars, touted by Elon Musk, feature in countless TikTok videos and even have a song dedicated to them.

They were already household names before a landmark trial this week found that Wegovy also cuts the risk of heart disease by a fifth.