Novo Nordisk shares continue to climb from November lows. Prescriptions of the pill version of its blockbuster weight-loss drug, Wegovy, have surged.
The oral weight-loss drug introduced by Novo Nordisk this year in the U.S. is quickly being adopted.
Analysts pointed to data from Symphony Health which showed that weekly prescriptions for the oral version of Wegovy surged to 20,392 from 4,286.
At the same time, prescriptions for the injectable once-a-week were steady.
Bank of America analysts calculate that the oral version needs about 2,000 prescriptions per week in order for the company to meet 2026 sales estimates.
Novo Nordisk stock rose 2.76% in premarket trading, extending gains this week in anticipation of the data and building on a 51% recovery from November lows. However, the stock is still down 34% over the last 52 weeks, while arch-rival Eli Lilly $(LLY)$ has gained 38% over the same timeframe.
Analysts at Berenberg say Google Trends data is showing an uptick in U.S. web search interest for Wegovy. "A slew of telehealth partnerships, along with a significant refresh of the NovoCare online pharmacy, indicate clear intention to embrace the consumer opportunity in obesity," the analysts said.
Comments