Novo Nordisk reprimanded for allegedly failing to disclose payments
The manufacturer of the weight loss jab Wegovy has been reprimanded for allegedly failing to disclose or accurately report payments to healthcare and patient organisations.
Novo Nordisk breached clauses under the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) code of practice, according to the Prescription Medicines Code Of Practice Authority (PMCPA).
The company said it is taking the issue 'extremely seriously' and 'is dedicated to working transparently and ethically'.
The complaint was made by three individuals, who were colleagues at two separate universities, regarding the alleged failure to report payments to two healthcare organisations.
Following an 'in-depth investigation', the complainants claimed Novo Nordisk allegedly failed to report, inaccurately reported, and misreported payments to healthcare organisations and patient organisations between 2015 and 2022.
Novo Nordisk is dedicated to working transparently and ethically, taking the reporting of these historical transfers of value extremely seriously
Novo Nordisk spokesman
The probe alleged 30 organisations were missed from the company's disclosures and claims Novo Nordisk misreported 65 payments.
The PMCPA said Novo Nordisk accepted breaches of clauses 24.1, 24.4, 24.5, 27.7, 9.1 and 2 of the 2019 code and clauses 28.1, 29.1, 29.2, 31.1, 31.2, 5.1 and 2 of the 2021 code.
These clauses include failing to document and publicly disclose annually certain payments made directly or indirectly to health professionals, other relevant decision-makers and healthcare organisations, failing to make publicly available a list of patient organisations which it supports, and failing to make disclosures annually in respect of each calendar year in the first six months after the end of the calendar year in which the payments were made.
It added that its panel 'decided on balance not to report Novo Nordisk to the code of practice appeal board for it to decide whether the imposition of further sanctions was appropriate'.
It noted that the company 'had been the subject of several cases in relation to the failure to appropriately disclose transfers of value,' adding that 'additional sanctions had been imposed and that Novo Nordisk was already the subject of the audit process at the request of the code of practice appeal board'.
It said the 'matters raised in this case were closely similar to matters already before the appeal board both in terms of the nature of the matters considered and that the amount undisclosed was significant'.
Novo Nordisk has its headquarters in Bagsvaerd in Denmark, and was founded in 1923.
Among its products is semaglutide, sold under the brand names Ozempic and Wegovy, the latter of which has been approved to treat obesity on the NHS.
We continue to strengthen our compliance framework in the UK and remain committed to adhering to the ABPI code of practice and maintaining the highest possible ethical standards required by the pharmaceutical industry
Novo Nordisk spokesman
A Novo Nordisk spokesman said: 'Novo Nordisk is dedicated to working transparently and ethically, taking the reporting of these historical transfers of value extremely seriously.
'In fact, most of the missed disclosures included in this case were already part of our self-reported voluntary admission in November 2023 to the PMCPA.
'For those that were not included in that admission, these have been captured through our improved processes and have been accurately disclosed.
'All transfers of value related to this case were related to legitimate activities, in line with the UK pharmaceutical industry's code of practice.
'We continue to strengthen our compliance framework in the UK and remain committed to adhering to the ABPI code of practice and maintaining the highest possible ethical standards required by the pharmaceutical industry.'
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The Independent
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What do we really know about the long-term use of Ozempic and Mounjaro?
The headlines this week were as sensational as they were unsettling. ' Ozempic may stop the pill working properly,' this newspaper reported after the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) issued a warning: pill users should double up on contraception while using the jabs and avoid them altogether during pregnancy or breastfeeding. The British Menopause Society also added that women on HRT taking the drugs might fail to absorb progesterone pills, which could increase the risk of womb cancer. Meanwhile, other reports warned that the injections many are using for weight loss, like Wegovy and Mounjaro, might also carry a hidden risk of kidney cancer. And this month, the European Medicines Agency cautioned that semaglutide could double the risk of a rare sight-loss condition called non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION). These headlines would be alarming even if the drugs were rarely used. But these so-called weight-loss jabs have become so popular that even their manufacturers didn't anticipate the demand. As of March 2025, market intelligence company IQVIA estimated that around 1.5 million people in the UK were using weight loss treatments. With limited NHS availability, roughly 80 per cent of these are purchased privately online and have made the pharma companies that make them some of the most valuable firms in Europe. But with no real long-term studies, do we really know how safe these drugs are? While they will have been thoroughly tested before hitting the market, have manufacturers really considered how people are using them? What do we really know about their long-term effects? Is this truly a medical breakthrough – or just another chapter in the troubled history of slimming pills? A crisis in need of solutions There's no denying that obesity is a public health emergency. Nearly three-quarters of people aged 45 to 75 in the UK are now overweight, up from just over half in 1993. Obesity is linked to conditions such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, joint problems, infertility, and around 30 types of cancer. It's estimated to cost the NHS £6.5bn a year. Given this, the search for a safe, effective obesity drug has long been seen as medicine's holy grail. But past attempts have often ended in disaster, either due to limited results or serious safety issues. The troubled history of slimming drugs Weight loss drugs have historically come with significant risks. One of the earliest, 2,4-dinitrophenol, was initially used as an explosive in the First World War. It worked by increasing metabolism, causing the body to burn calories as heat. As hemlines rose in the 1920s, flappers flocked to it, but it turned out that the wrong dose could literally cook users from the inside. Horrific deaths meant the drug was banned in 1938. Later came amphetamine-based drugs, widely used in the Fifties and Sixties until their links to addiction and cardiovascular issues led to bans. More recently, sibutramine (Reductil) and rimonabant (Acomplia) were withdrawn after being linked to heart attacks, strokes, and psychiatric effects. By the time Acomplia was suspended in 2008, four trial participants had died by suicide. Enter: GLP-1 agonists. These new-generation drugs, which include semaglutide and tirzepatide, were the first to mimic our own natural appetite-regulating hormones. The first to hit the market was exenatide – a drug to treat type 2 diabetes – in 2005. Ozempic was then approved in 2017 and Mounjaro in 2023. Clinical trials showed unprecedented weight loss of up to 26 per cent of body weight in some cases, on par with bariatric surgery – and seemingly without the deadly side effects of their predecessors. So, why are these drugs different? 'Most previous drugs targeted the brain, which is where hunger lives,' explains Professor Giles Yeo, a molecular neuroendocrinologist at Cambridge University. 'But that led to serious side effects. These newer drugs are modified, longer-lasting versions of natural hormones – they're designed to go to the right brain regions naturally and for our body to respond to them in the same way they do to our own hormones.' Miracle or minefield? Despite their success, the rapid rise in use has triggered concern. Many users now access these jabs through private online clinics with minimal oversight. Some even acquire illegal 'compounded' medications from beauticians. Social media is flooded with user reviews, micro-dosing tips, and 'before-and-after' photos. But this week, a spokesperson for Novo Nordisk, which markets Ozempic and Wegovy, told the Daily Mail that practices like microdosing weren't recommended. 'The approved doses are the only dose strengths that have been studied and are licensed to use,' they warned. Similarly, the Royal Pharmaceutical Society has warned that without proper supervision, users face risks including dehydration, gallstones, malnutrition, and muscle loss. What do we know about long-term safety? Yeo is optimistic: 'Regulatory bodies like the FDA and the EMA are very rigorous. These drugs are approved globally, and they wouldn't be if they were deemed unsafe.' Professor Carel Le Roux, a metabolic medicine expert at Ulster University, adds that all approved drugs – not just weight loss drugs – must be studied for at least 52 weeks. This is because, he says, 'If we haven't seen major issues by a year, we're unlikely to. And this is based on the regulators' experience of tens of thousands of previous studies.' However, less obvious side effects often appear only after widespread use. Le Roux insists that the new findings that have dominated the headlines in the last few weeks are typical of standard 'post-market surveillance' by which pharma companies and regulators continue to collect data. 'Yes, things can emerge,' he says. 'But we've used this class of drugs for 20 years, mostly in people who were sicker than current users. The data is incredibly reassuring.' Le Roux also points out that in trials, participants on these medications had fewer serious adverse events than those on placebo. 'That's because obesity and diabetes are so harmful themselves. There comes a point when it's unethical not to license a drug that can make people healthier.' Untangling the risks Some risks are still being studied. The kidney cancer alert came from a study of 43,000 people on GLP-1 drugs versus 43,000 controls. There were 83 cases in the treatment group compared to 58 in the control group – a slight absolute increase and not necessarily a clear causal link. Conversely, other trials show strong kidney protection. The FLOW trial (2019–2023) followed over 3,500 patients and found a 24 per cent lower risk of kidney failure and a 50 per cent reduction in death from kidney disease among semaglutide users. The findings were so conclusive that the trial ended early in order to offer treatment to the placebo group. Le Roux remains confident: 'We've shown these drugs can reduce heart attacks by up to 25 per cent and cut the risk of developing diabetes in people at risk by 80-90 per cent. Yes, eye issues have emerged, but this particular condition is only seen in people with diabetes, and the risk is around 1 in 10,000.' Yeo also points out that in fact 'type 2 diabetes is the leading cause of blindness in adults'. So, what about the contraceptive and HRT concerns? Le Roux says vomiting, a known side effect of the drugs, is likely to be to blame rather than the drug blocking absorption per se. 'Anything swallowed will eventually be absorbed – unless it's thrown up.' To reduce nausea while on these drugs, he advises sticking with lower doses, even if that slows weight loss. If vomiting continues to be a problem, switching to non-oral forms of HRT, such as patches, or using condoms or a coil should eliminate the issue. Osteoporosis and other risks Others have expressed concerns about the effect of weight loss injections on muscles and bones. US singer Avery, who took Ozempic for a year, despite having an eating disorder, recently tearfully revealed she had been diagnosed with osteoporosis. She admitted that she did not get the drug from a doctor. So how common is her experience? A review published last year showed that between 15 and 40 per cent of weight loss with semaglutide could be lean tissue. Yeo says that it's something users should be aware of. 'Anyone losing weight by any means will always lose lean tissue – which includes water, muscle and bone – alongside fat.' 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These powerful drugs are designed to be used for health reasons, not as a cosmetic tool. They are designed to help people with obesity. If they are taken by skinny people, that's when side effects rocket and the risk vs benefit ratio changes. We need to keep them out of the wrong hands.' Drugs like semaglutide offer a new weapon in the battle against obesity – a condition that has proven difficult to treat for decades and costs the NHS millions in comorbid conditions, which can range from type-2 diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular disease, osteoarthritis and even depression. But they aren't magic bullets. They come with risks, limitations, and hard decisions about long-term use. Appropriately used, with medical oversight and realistic expectations, they can be life-changing. But the real test isn't just in the weight lost this year – it's what happens over the next decade. We should welcome them, but with cautious optimism and our eyes wide open.
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LONDON, June 13 (Reuters) - Drugmaker Novo Nordisk ( opens new tab is once again Europe's largest company by market capitalisation, rising above German software firm SAP ( opens new tab on Friday. The Danish company reached $367.91 billion in market value, including its unlisted shares, according to LSEG data. Chipmaker ASML ( opens new tab is in third place.
