Novo’s Wegovy pill hits over 18,000 US prescriptions in strong debut week

Novo Nordisk’s (NOVOb.CO), opens new tab Wegovy pill was prescribed more than 18,000 times in the U.S. in the first full week after its launch in an encouraging start to the oral weight-loss drug race, according to analysts who cited IQVIA data.
Investors are closely watching prescriptions data to see if the Danish drugmaker can press its first-mover advantage against rival Eli Lilly (LLY.N), opens new tab in a competitive weight-loss market.
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Oral obesity treatments offer patients greater flexibility and a needle-free alternative, although injectable medications are still expected to dominate for years to come.
At least two analysts said the prescription data signals robust early uptake and was tracking ahead of launches of other GLP-1s, as drugmakers shift towards cash-pay consumer models.
“The early oral Wegovy launch data is very strong, albeit in a now far better established obesity market versus building the obesity market,” Barclays analyst James Gordon said.