Fat jab wars wipe £70bn off Ozempic maker Novo Nordisk as it feels the heat from rival Eli Lilly
Shares in Novo Nordisk fell as much as 30 per cent after it slashed sales and profits forecasts for the second time this year amid pressure from Mounjaro and Zepbound maker Eli Lilly.
The Danish company also appointed a new chief executive after abruptly ousting former boss Lars Fruergaard Jorgensen in May following a dramatic slump in the share price.
New boss Maziar Mike Doustdar – Novo's head of international operations – faced a baptism of fire yesterday as the latest bleak trading update sent shares to a three-year low.
The stock is now down more than 60 per cent since peaking in June last year – slashing its value from £460billion to £177billion.
It marked another difficult day for Novo chairman Helge Lund, who last week faced the humiliation of being removed from the same job at energy giant BP earlier than he hoped.
Chris Beauchamp, chief market analyst at trading platform IG, said: 'Novo Nordisk shares continue to endure their own remarkable weight-loss programme.
'The pendulum has swung from wild optimism a year ago to rampant pessimism now. Are there any investors brave enough to snap up a possible bargain?'
Copenhagen-listed Novo became Europe's most valuable listed firm after the launch of Wegovy in 2021. At one point, it was larger than the Danish economy.
But shares have plunged in the past year over concerns about its drug pipeline and its waning strength in the US, the largest market for weight-loss medication.
Although Zepbound was launched more than two years after Wegovy, prescriptions of the Eli Lilly drug now outstrip those of Novo's blockbuster by more than 100,000 a week.
Zepbound is marketed as Mounjaro in the UK where it has been dubbed the 'King Kong' of slimming jabs.
Novo yesterday said it expects sales to rise by between 8 per cent and 14 per cent this year – down from a previous range of 13 per cent to 21 per cent.
It also lowered its forecasts for profit growth to as little as 10 per cent from a previous estimate of up to 24 per cent.
Minutes after the bleak update, Novo revealed Doustdar will be taking the helm on August 7.
He said: 'The fact that my announcement comes right after the update just makes the mandate ahead even more clear.'
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Scottish Sun
10 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
I lost 18st without fat jabs – I didn't cheat my way to a new body by secretly using Ozempic, I put the effort in
Kate Evans, 40, a full-time mum from Buckinghamshire, weighed 29st at her heaviest & is frustrated people think she resorted to fat jabs. Here's her secret... NO WEIGH I lost 18st without fat jabs – I didn't cheat my way to a new body by secretly using Ozempic, I put the effort in OPENING my 10th can of cola of the day and gorging on a Chinese takeaway, I felt utterly miserable. Weighing 29st and a size 32, I was practically housebound and struggling to care for my children. It was a conversation with my husband in early 2023 that would shock me into finally losing weight, after years of it spiralling out of control. 5 At 10st 13lb, Kate's happier and healthier after losing 18st without using weight loss injections 5 Kate with husband Dan at her heaviest weight of 29st Today, I'm more than 18st lighter, but to my frustration, there are people who don't believe I lost the weight through diet and exercise. They accuse me of secretly using fat jabs and say I cheated my way to a new body. When my husband Dan told me that day that he was scared I was going to die, I knew his fears were justified. At 38, I was pre-diabetic and could barely walk, with aching joints and breathlessness. I agreed to join a slimming club, but had no idea how I'd lose the excess weight. All my life, I've been big. At 10, I weighed 9st, the weight of an adult woman, because I had a big appetite. BIG APPETITE As a teenager, when I had more independence and money to spend, I'd buy crisps, chocolate and fizzy drinks. I did try a few times to lose weight in my 20s, but always gave up and put it back on, and more. When I met Dan online in 2013, after having my first child in a previous relationship, I was a size 24. He didn't care, though, and saw past my weight. He loved me as I was, and we got married in 2016. I treated food like an emotional crutch. No matter how I was feeling, I turned to it. I look back with horror at what I'd consume daily – litres of fizzy drink, greasy takeaways, piles of buttered toast and chocolate. By the time Dan had that emotional conversation with me, I was only leaving the house once a week to go to the supermarket, and I slept downstairs because getting up to our bedroom was too hard for me. 'No shortcuts exist' I'm an Irish teen who lost almost 60 pounds in 16 weeks following a routine that works wonders He had to take on more than his share, and I could never take the kids to the park or on a day trip. Had Dan not confided his fears in me, I'm not sure if I'd have ever given myself that push to lose weight. Stepping on to the scales at my first slimming club meeting in February 2023, I felt mortified. At 29st 4.5lb, I was by far the biggest person there. But for Dan and my children's sake, I knew I needed to try. So, using the club's plan as a starting point, I began learning about nutrition. I started having fruit and yoghurt for breakfast, a wrap with salad for lunch, and chicken with veg for dinner. I stopped having takeaways and gradually weaned myself off sugary drinks. Attending a weekly meeting and being weighed kept me accountable, and as I started to see the number on the scales go down, I felt motivated to keep going. I began to introduce walking, too. At first, even short distances left me with sore joints and out of breath, but I persevered and it became more enjoyable. 5 Kate ended up practically housebound and struggling to care for her children due to her weight 5 Kate lost the weight to be a better mum 5 Kate's husband Dan was scared she was going to die because of the excess weight Dan was so supportive and relieved I was taking care of myself. By April 2024, I'd lost 17st. I decided to keep going and now weigh 10st 13lb. I don't plan to lose any more, but still attend my weekly club meetings. It's surreal when I walk into a clothes shop and can pick out size-12 dresses. People I haven't seen in a while have walked past, not recognising me, and there was even a rumour in our area Dan was having an affair, because he was spotted with another woman. But that was me! What frustrates me is, after all the effort I've put in, I've been accused of secretly using weight-loss jabs. I've seen it happen online to celebrities, such as TV presenter Alison Hammond, who's lost 11st without jabs, too. Personally, I think it's cheating to use them to lose weight. I put the pounds on and it was up to me to lose them, not rely on pharmaceuticals. When I look back at old photos, I don't recognise that unhealthy, unhappy woman. I've saved my life and am the active, happy wife and mum I always dreamed of being. And I did it all by myself.'
Daily Mail
16 hours ago
- Daily Mail
I'm a hormone expert - this is why some people's sex drive goes through the roof when they take Mounjaro
A hormone expert has revealed a bizarre side-effect of weight loss jabs: they might send your sex drive soaring. Originally developed for diabetes, blockbuster drugs like Mounjaro are now famed for helping users shed weight rapidly by suppressing appetite. But it seems they may also be fuelling a surge in libido. Dr Shashi Prasad, a GP and expert in women's health, said while side-effects such as nausea and even organ damage have been widely reported, changes in sexual desire remain less understood. 'Sexual desire is such an important aspect of somebody's well-being and this is still a relatively new treatment,' she said. 'We are increasingly finding that it's having an impact on people's libido—and it's not all to do with self-esteem.' Dr Prasad explained that one possible reason for the effect is that body fat causes chronic, low-level inflammation—a key factor behind many obesity-related health issues, including reduced sex drive. Mounjaro works by mimicking a gut hormone called GLP-1, which is released after eating to regulate blood sugar and suppress hunger. Dr Prasad said Mounjaro may cause libido to sky rocket because of how it impacts a certain brain chemical Your browser does not support iframes. Your browser does not support iframes. As well as signalling the pancreas to produce more insulin, GLP-1 tricks the body into thinking it is full—stopping patients from overeating and triggering weight loss. More than 1.5 million patients in the UK are now paying for private Mounjaro prescriptions, as well as a similar drug called Wegovy. Some notice a change in their drinking habits, with many saying they no longer want alcohol. And this may give another clue to the apparent libido-boosting effect of the jabs, according to Dr Prasad. She explains that whilst alcohol affects the part of the brain that controls inhibition—explaining why people often feel less anxious and more confident after a drink—it can dampen sex drive. 'Alcohol is a very addiction-based behaviour,' Dr Prasad explained. 'It has a suppressive effect on our emotions, releasing inhibition which can make some people more sexually inclined. 'But, sexual desire is more than that. Remember, alcohol is a depressant, so whilst you may feel more confident after a drink, physiologically alcohol actually suppresses sexual desire.' A change to body image and the resulting boost in confidence does also play a part, she adds. Researcher shows that women between the ages of 20 and 59 who had sex less than once a week were at a 70 per cent increased risk of death within five years Your browser does not support iframes. Your browser does not support iframes. 'We know that body image, self-esteem and confidence definitely play a huge role in sexual desire—and this psychological boost associated with weight loss is a very big element.' But some users have reported the opposite effect—finding they want to have sex less frequently. This may be because the drugs suppress the production of dopamine—the feel-good chemical the brain produces in response to pleasurable experiences. 'Our brains produce dopamine in response to anything that brings us pleasure, whether that's food, alcohol, cigarettes, socialising or sex,' says Dr Alexis Bailey, a neuropharmacologist at City St George's university in London. 'The leading theory is that GLP-1 injections helps dampen these dopamine surges.' According to Dr Prasad, this can cause a significant drop in sex drive, resulting in users feeling more confident in their new bodies but not wanting to have sex. 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She is now urging health officials to conduct more research into this aspect of the drug, and encouraging more open and honest conversations about sex and weight loss. 'Sexual desire is such an important aspect of someone's identity—it is very important to flag this up and encourage patients to have a discussion with their doctor.' Her advice comes amid growing concern over a global sex crisis—or rather, lack of sex crisis. One recent survey revealed more than a quarter of people living in the UK are having less sex than they used to, with one in six admitting they haven't got frisky the entire year. Last month, researchers at the University of Manchester, also revealed women who have sex at least once a week are the happiest in their relationships. Their study showed that 85 per cent of women who had sex once a week described themselves as 'sexually satisfied'. In contrast, only 17 per cent of women who had sex less than once a month reported the same level of relationship bliss. 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Scottish Sun
a day ago
- Scottish Sun
Crisis club Sheffield Wednesday missed out on huge Danny Rohl windfall before boss walked out
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