Novo Nordisk launches weight loss injection Wegovy in UK, company says ‘closely monitoring demand’
Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk has launched its weight-loss injection Wegovy in Britain in a bid to expand its presence in the region and keep up with rising demand. The company said that Wegovy will be available in the UK ‘through a controlled and limited launch’. Wegovy has been shown to help patients reduce their body weight by around 15 percent when paired with exercise and lifestyle changes.
As of July, the injection was available in the United States, Norway, Denmark and Germany. The inability of Novo to meet the demand for Wegovy in the US has led to a delayed launch in most of Europe. Surging demand for the drug, and Novo's highly effective diabetes drug Ozempic, have sent the company's shares and earnings to record highs.
On Friday it unseated LVMH as Europe's most valuable listed company, ending the French luxury group's 2-1/2 year-long reign at the top. Wegovy, shown to help patients reduce body weight by around 15% when used along with exercise and lifestyle changes, is so far available in the United States, Norway, Denmark, and as of late July, Germany. The company has struggled to keep up with demand even as it has added production capacity, and its CEO told Reuters last month it would "take quite some years" before the company can satisfy the whole market.
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