Stock prices fluctuations: Novo-Nordisk surges, Viking Therapeutics plummets - an overview
Novo Nordisk, the renowned pharmaceutical company, has undergone a significant change in leadership. Maziar Mike Doustdar has been appointed as President and CEO, effective from August 7, 2025, succeeding Lars Fruergaard Jørgensen.
Under Doustdar's leadership, Novo Nordisk is aiming to regain competitiveness and stabilise investor confidence, following a restructuring of the management. The company has adjusted its 2025 growth outlook to account for rising competition in the market.
Meanwhile, Viking Therapeutics, a competitor in the pharmaceutical industry, has made strides with its weight loss pill, VK2735. In a recent clinical trial, VK2735 demonstrated statistically significant reductions in body weight, achieving both its primary and secondary endpoints.
The drug was found to be safe and well-tolerated by 99 percent of participants. However, a concern with the drug's tolerability is the discontinuation of treatment due to adverse events. While 13 percent of placebo participants discontinued treatment due to adverse events, this figure was higher for participants treated with VK2735, at 20 percent.
Most gastrointestinal treatment-related adverse events were classified as mild or moderate. Despite this, the most common reason for discontinuing treatment was gastrointestinal adverse events.
Novo Nordisk's own weight loss pill, Amycretin, also showed promising results in early phase trials. After 12 weeks, Amycretin demonstrated a weight loss of over 13 percent. After 13 weeks, a maximum average weight loss of up to 12.2 percent was observed with VK2735 compared to placebo.
This development in the weight loss drug market is expected to bring about significant changes, with both Novo Nordisk and Viking Therapeutics striving to improve their offerings and address the concerns around tolerability. The competition between these two companies is set to heat up as they aim to provide effective and well-tolerated weight loss solutions for their customers.
