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The weight loss performance between Novo Nordisk and Elli Lily is re -heating up, and Novo does not plan to lose in this second round.
Nearly two years after the launch of Lily’s injectable Zeepound, and four years after the launch of Novo’s Injectable Vagovi, the attention of the investor is turning into weight loss pills. He is expected to come to the market next year.
Lily’s orforglipron has been given the most attention. But Novo’s oral semaglutide, or call it vegovi-in-a-pill, will probably reach the market first, and it seems that it works surprisingly well.
Today, Lily is the undisputed champion of the weight-loss business. Despite a multier head start, Novo has struggled with the lack of his shots and competition with compounding pharmacies. Lily is now a major part of the US GLP -1 market.
Novo shares are about 60% below from July 2024.
The anticipated launch of the Wagovi-in-A-Pill can offer a shot to change the story to Novo. The Food and Drug Administration is expected to issue a decision on the application of Novo by the end of the year, and a launch may come early next year.
On Friday, Bairon spoke with Dave Moore, who was the executive vice-president of American operations about Vagovi-in-a-Pill, Novo’s Executive Vice President. An edited version of the conversation is as follows.
Baron: Novo has made positive data on oral semaglutide as treatment for weight loss over years, but did not go towards the launch quickly. Now why bring it to the market?
Moore: We had to ensure that we were ready and supply flexibility, so that we could bring forward Wagovi-in-A-Pills in the US, and we wanted to ensure that we had an unrestricted launch. We are really excited about the ability of the first oral GLP-1 for obesity.
In comparison with a dose of the pellet version, how active component, or API is required for a dose of the injectable vegovi? How do you know that you will have enough?
The pill requires much more APIs than the injection. We are building that supply, that readiness for launch, long. Good news, also, oral vegovi is built in a plant in North Carolina in the US, which we have built there.
Patients have more weight loss on injections, so what is the market for weight loss pill?
There will be exactly those who are still interested in weekly injection once. Now what is interesting, however, if you look at the results in our clinical trials, you are getting closer to efficacy like injection in a time-danage pill. And there will be people who are interested in it.
We know that there are people who will be motivated to seek treatment when a pill is available. And what is really the ability here, it is that there is an opportunity for those patients living with obesity who are not demanding treatment today.
As you said, Vegovi-in-a-pill requires a large amount of API. What does it mean for pricing? How will you be able to pay the cost of medicine relative to Wegovy, and lily’s orforglipron?
Commenting on any real specific pricing strategies is a little early for us, and of course I do not know plans for any other companies. I can tell you that we are not planning the price of vegovi pill more than the injection.
An idea on Wall Street is that weight loss pills will be largely sold to customers who pay cash through direct-to-consumer platforms. What are your plans?
This is not yet on the market, and you never know until you see the practice of the real world. What I would say is increasing awareness towards the consumer, and interested in using direct drugs, is real in obesity. We are going to bend in it, we are not going to ignore it. Our plan is available that it is available to take care of patients.
In the last one year, Novo’s shares have declined significantly. How do you want investors now thinking about Novo?
The story about Novo is about development, and about [the] Long term. In diabetes, in obesity, there is place to increase some related conditions. If you think about obesity, we are actually starting now. We are pioneers, we are globally leaders in terms of GLP-1 distribution, and we are innovating. We have been in this class for 25 years, and our pipeline is coming more.
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