Novo Nordisk is preparing to bring its Wegovy GLP-1 weight-loss pill to the EU, with Germany first in line for the rollout.
The Danish drugmaker confirmed the plan during its second-quarter results call with analysts on Wednesday (5 August).
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The arrival of the oral treatment has been closely watched by food and beverage companies, which are already facing pressure on sales volumes linked to consumers using the injectable format of the GLP-1 medicines.
Ahmad Khan, an analyst at Just Food’s parent company GlobalData, said: “The planned launch of an oral Wegovy formulation has the potential to broaden access to GLP-1 therapies, reinforcing the behavioural shifts that food and drink manufacturers are already beginning to respond to.
“GlobalData’s recent research indicates that GLP-1s are accelerating a broader transition towards more intentional consumption, with consumers placing greater emphasis on the role food plays in supporting longer-term health goals.”
Khan added: “Our research suggests this is translating into demand for more complete nutrition, greater control over dietary choices and more mindful forms of indulgence.
“As these expectations become more widespread, European food and drinks manufacturers will need to ensure their innovation pipelines reflect this broader evolution in consumer priorities if they want to remain as competitive as they have in previous years.”
The Wegovy pill reached the US market in January after receiving approval from the Food and Drug Administration.
In June, the UK’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency approved the pill. Earlier, it had also been cleared in the UAE.
The pill variant became widely available across the UK in early July, making it the first once-daily oral GLP-1 treatment for weight management in that market.
Novo Nordisk said that roughly 300,000 patients had begun taking the Wegovy pill within the first three weeks of the UK launch.
Jamey Millar, who heads Novo Nordisk’s US operations, said the Wegovy pill is “the strongest-ever GLP-1 launch by volume” and added the medicine has now moved beyond five million prescriptions in the US.
During the company’s call with analysts, Emil Kongshøj Larsen, the executive vice president of international operations, said: “We are pleased to see these encouraging upticks and expect to launch the Wegovy pill in select countries in the coming quarters, starting with Germany in September.”
Speaking to Just Food recently, Clive Black, veteran UK grocery analyst and head of consumer research at Shore Capital, said the launch of a GLP-1 pill in the UK marks “another gear in the growing influence of weight-management products that can be expected to lap across the shores of the whole food system”.
Research issued in June by Numerator indicated that the number of UK households with a GLP-1 user has almost tripled over the past two years.
Worldpanel by Numerator survey data has suggested 1.9 million adults in the UK are using the medication.
GlobalData said in its research unveiled in July that more than half of people using GLP-1 therapies reported eating more fruit and vegetables. More than a third said they had stopped consuming products such as chocolate, confectionery, desserts, alcoholic beverages, savoury snacks, and baked goods.
