Weight-loss pills could account for half of the global obesity-treatment market by 2030, potentially reducing the dominance of injectable drugs, Novo Nordisk CEO Mike Doustdar said.
In an interview with Reuters, Doustdar said the Danish pharmaceutical company was preparing for a future in which oral weight-loss medicines could become far more widely used than they are today.
Novo Nordisk currently has five oral medicines in different stages of development, as the company increases its focus on pills as an alternative to its widely used weekly injections.
Doustdar said injections currently dominate the obesity-treatment market, while much of the research and drug pipelines of competing companies are also focused on injectable treatments.
He said Novo Nordisk was preparing for a potential shift in which pills and injections could each account for roughly 50% of the market by 2030.
Analysts have estimated that the global obesity-treatment market could reach between $100 billion and $150 billion by 2030, with oral medicines expected to account for roughly 14% to 40% of the market.
Doustdar’s projection of a 50% share for pills is therefore higher than recent analyst estimates, although Novo Nordisk is positioning its oral drug pipeline to benefit if demand for tablets grows significantly.
Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy helped establish the company as a major player in the rapidly expanding obesity-treatment market after its launch in 2021. However, US pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly later intensified competition with its own weight-loss medicines, putting pressure on Novo Nordisk’s market position.
Sales of oral Wegovy reached around 5.5 billion Danish kroner ($843 million) in the first half of this year, according to the company.
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