Novo Nordisk Q1 2025 Sales Surge 19% to DKK 78.1 Billion, Yet Stock Plunges 4% in After-Hours Trading

7 May 2025 - Financial report for the period 1 January 2025 to 31 March 2025Operating profit increased by 22% in Danish kroner and by 20% at constant exchange rates (CER) to DKK 38.8 billion.Sales in US Operations increased by 20% in Danish kroner (17% at CER). Sales in International Operations increased by 18% in Danish kroner (19% at CER).Sales within Diabetes and Obesity care increased by 21% in Danish kroner to DKK 73.5 billion (19% at CER), mainly driven by Obesity care growth of 67% in Danish kroner to DKK 18.4 billion (65% at CER) and GLP-1 diabetes sales growing 13% in Danish kroner (11% at CER) and. Rare disease sales increased by 5% measured in Danish kroner (3% at CER).Within R&D, Novo Nordisk completed the REDEFINE 2 trial, where CagriSema demonstrated superior weight loss of 15.7% in adults with obesity or overweight and type 2 diabetes. Novo Nordisk still expects to file for the first regulatory approval of CagriSema during the first quarter of 2026.Also within R&D, oral semaglutide 25 mg in obesity was submitted for regulatory review to the US FDA. In addition, once-weekly semaglutide 2.4 mg in MASH was submitted for regulatory approval in both the EU and US, and granted priority review in the US.For the 2025 outlook, sales growth is now expected to be 13-21% at CER, and operating profit growth is now expected to be 16-24% at CER. Sales and operating profit growth reported in Danish kroner is now expected to be 3 and 5 percentage points lower than at CER, respectively. The updated sales outlook reflects lower-than-planned penetration of branded GLP-1 treatments in the US, impacted by compounded GLP-1s. Novo Nordisk is focused on preventing unlawful compounding and further expanding access in the US. With around 1 billion people living with obesity globally and only few million on treatment, Novo Nordisk continues the global roll-out of Wegovy®.Lars Fruergaard Jørgensen, president and CEO: "In the first quarter of 2025, we delivered 18% sales growth and continued to expand the reach of our innovative GLP-1 treatments. However, we have reduced our full-year outlook due to lower-than-planned branded GLP-1 penetration, which is impacted by the rapid expansion of compounding in the US. We are actively focused on preventing unlawful and unsafe compounding and on efforts to expand patient access to our GLP-1 treatments. Within R&D, we are pleased to have completed the last pivotal trial for our next-generation obesity treatment, CagriSema, and to have filed for US approval of oral semaglutide 25 mg, with the potential to be the first oral GLP-1 treatment for obesity."