Novo Nordisk Raises 2026 Outlook After Wegovy Pill Sales Exceed Expectations

Novo Nordisk raised its full-year 2026 guidance after Wegovy pill sales exceeded expectations in Q1, with the oral GLP-1 treatment surpassing 1.3 million prescriptions in just its first quarter on the US market and reaching 2 million total since launch [doc3, doc11]. The company's adjusted operating profit reached DKK 32,858 million in Q1 2026, underpinned by a significant 340B program provision reversal that boosted reported sales.

The guidance revision now calls for full-year sales and profit performance to decline approximately 12% — an improvement from the prior forecast of around 13% — driven by upgraded expectations for GLP-1 product sales across both injectable and oral formats. NVO shares surged 7-9% in reaction to the update, reflecting investor relief that the oral Wegovy rollout is tracking materially ahead of initial forecasts after several years of development uncertainty.

The milestone marks a pivotal moment for the obesity drug market. An effective daily pill removes the injection barrier that has limited some patients from adopting GLP-1 therapies, potentially unlocking a substantially larger addressable market than the injectable Ozempic and Wegovy formulations alone could serve. Analysts will be watching closely whether the prescribing momentum can sustain through Q2 and beyond.