Pfizer Expands Obesity Investment with $2.1 Billion Agreement to Develop Pill from Chinese Firm
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Dec 09 2025
0mins
Source: CNBC
Pfizer's Licensing Deal: Pfizer has entered a licensing agreement worth up to $2.1 billion with YaoPharma to develop an obesity pill, which includes an upfront payment of $150 million and potential milestone payments of up to $1.94 billion.
Drug Development and Competition: The drug targets the GLP-1 hormone, similar to Novo Nordisk's Wegovy, but is still in early development. Pfizer aims to enhance its obesity drug pipeline after previous setbacks and a recent acquisition of Metsera.
Clinical Trials and Future Plans: YaoPharma will conduct initial phase one trials, while Pfizer will oversee later development stages and plans to explore combining this treatment with its own GIP-targeting drug.
Market Potential: Analysts suggest that the weight loss drug market could reach approximately $100 billion by the 2030s, making Pfizer's entry into this space potentially lucrative.
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Analyst Views on NVO
Wall Street analysts forecast NVO stock price to rise over the next 12 months. According to Wall Street analysts, the average 1-year price target for NVO is 54.67 USD with a low forecast of 42.00 USD and a high forecast of 70.00 USD. However, analyst price targets are subjective and often lag stock prices, so investors should focus on the objective reasons behind analyst rating changes, which better reflect the company's fundamentals.
8 Analyst Rating
4 Buy
3 Hold
1 Sell
Moderate Buy
Current: 47.640
Low
42.00
Averages
54.67
High
70.00
Current: 47.640
Low
42.00
Averages
54.67
High
70.00
About NVO
Novo Nordisk A/S is a global healthcare company engaged in diabetes care. The Company is also engaged in the discovery, development, manufacturing and marketing of pharmaceutical products. The Company operates through two business segments: diabetes and obesity care, and biopharmaceuticals. The Company's diabetes and obesity care segment covers insulin, GLP-1, other protein-related products, such as glucagon, protein-related delivery systems and needles, and oral anti-diabetic drugs. The Company's biopharmaceuticals segment covers the therapy areas of hemophilia care, growth hormone therapy and hormone replacement therapy. The Company also offers Saxenda product to treat obesity. It offers a range of products, including NovoLog/NovoRapid; NovoLog Mix/NovoMix; Prandin/NovoNorm; NovoSeven; Norditropin, and Vagifem. As of December 31, 2016, it marketed its products in over 180 countries. Its regional structure consists of two commercial units: North America and International Operations.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
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- Earnings Guidance Decline: Novo Nordisk's 2025 earnings report revealed a grim outlook for 2026, with sales and earnings expected to decline between 5% and 13%, primarily due to lower GLP-1 drug prices in the U.S., indicating significant market pressures and uncertainty regarding future profitability.
- Surge in GLP-1 Demand: Despite these challenges, the company's new GLP-1 pill attracted 170,000 patients within just four weeks of launch, far exceeding management's expectations, highlighting the potential growth opportunities in the weight-loss drug market.
- Increased Market Acceptance: The preference for oral medications over injections among consumers suggests that Novo Nordisk's GLP-1 pill could tap into a larger market, and the pricing agreement with the U.S. government further boosts demand, creating a favorable environment for sales growth.
- Optimistic Long-Term Outlook: Although Novo Nordisk's stock has lost two-thirds of its value since its peak in 2024, the early success of the pill indicates that future volume could offset the pricing pressures expected in 2026, with the CEO's comments reflecting a positive internal outlook for the company's future.
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- Legal Threats: Novo Nordisk and the FDA had threatened legal action against Hims & Hers, prompting the withdrawal, which not only protects Novo Nordisk's market share but may also reshape competitive dynamics in the industry.
- Market Reaction: Hims & Hers stated on social media that after constructive conversations with industry stakeholders, they decided to stop offering the treatment, a move that could further solidify Novo Nordisk's leadership in the weight-loss drug market.
- Commitment to Safe Care: Hims & Hers emphasized its commitment to providing safe, affordable, and personalized care, and while the withdrawal may impact its trust among consumers, it reflects a strategic pivot in response to regulatory pressures.
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- Safety Risk Warning: Novo Nordisk claims that the unapproved compounded products promoted by Hims may mislead patients and healthcare providers, increasing safety risks and potentially compromising patient health and treatment outcomes.
- Legal Relief Request: The company is seeking a permanent injunction to halt the sales of these compounded products and is requesting damages, demonstrating its firm stance on protecting intellectual property and market integrity.
- Market Reaction: Novo Nordisk's stock is trading at $50.16 on the New York Stock Exchange, up $2.49 or 5.21% from the previous trading day, reflecting a positive market response to its legal actions.
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- Market Risks: Novo claims that Hims' compounded products mislead consumers and healthcare professionals, potentially jeopardizing patient health, which highlights the prevalence of non-compliant drugs in the market affecting patient safety and treatment efficacy.
- Drug Purity Issues: Testing by Novo revealed that compounded injectable semaglutide drugs contained impurities as high as 86%, while oral compounded drugs had impurities up to 75%, raising concerns about severe immune responses and drug interactions, further intensifying public worries over drug safety.
- Stock Price Movements: Novo Nordisk's (NVO) stock rose 6.84% to $50.90, while Hims' (HIMS) stock fell 26.93% to $16.83, reflecting the market's positive reaction to Novo's legal action and negative expectations regarding Hims' potential risks.
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- Patent Lawsuit: Novo Nordisk has filed a lawsuit against Hims & Hers, accusing the telehealth platform of infringing its rights to a key U.S. patent related to its weight loss therapy, semaglutide, claiming that HIMS unlawfully mass-marketed unapproved versions of semaglutide drugs, including the newly launched oral obesity treatment, Wegovy.
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Novo Nordisk Expects Earnings Decline in 2026
- Earnings Guidance Decline: Novo Nordisk's 2025 earnings report revealed a grim outlook for 2026, with sales and earnings expected to decline between 5% and 13%, primarily due to lower GLP-1 drug prices in the U.S., indicating significant market pressures and uncertainty regarding future profitability.
- Surge in GLP-1 Demand: Despite these challenges, the company's new GLP-1 pill attracted 170,000 patients within just four weeks of launch, far exceeding management's expectations, highlighting the potential growth opportunities in the weight-loss drug market.
- Increased Market Acceptance: The preference for oral medications over injections among consumers suggests that Novo Nordisk's GLP-1 pill could tap into a larger market, and the pricing agreement with the U.S. government further boosts demand, creating a favorable environment for sales growth.
- Optimistic Long-Term Outlook: Although Novo Nordisk's stock has lost two-thirds of its value since its peak in 2024, the early success of the pill indicates that future volume could offset the pricing pressures expected in 2026, with the CEO's comments reflecting a positive internal outlook for the company's future.
See More
Novo Nordisk Shares Surge After Competitor Withdraws Drug
- Stock Surge: Novo Nordisk shares jumped 8% on Monday following Hims & Hers' announcement to withdraw its copycat weight-loss pill, indicating increased market confidence in Novo Nordisk's products.
- Legal Threats: Novo Nordisk and the FDA had threatened legal action against Hims & Hers, prompting the withdrawal, which not only protects Novo Nordisk's market share but may also reshape competitive dynamics in the industry.
- Market Reaction: Hims & Hers stated on social media that after constructive conversations with industry stakeholders, they decided to stop offering the treatment, a move that could further solidify Novo Nordisk's leadership in the weight-loss drug market.
- Commitment to Safe Care: Hims & Hers emphasized its commitment to providing safe, affordable, and personalized care, and while the withdrawal may impact its trust among consumers, it reflects a strategic pivot in response to regulatory pressures.
See More
Novo Nordisk Sues Hims for Patent Infringement
- Patent Infringement Lawsuit: Novo Nordisk has filed a lawsuit against Hims & Hers, alleging infringement of its U.S. patent related to semaglutide and the unlawful marketing of compounded versions of its FDA-approved medications, Wegovy and Ozempic, aiming to protect patient safety and uphold regulatory standards.
- Safety Risk Warning: Novo Nordisk claims that the unapproved compounded products promoted by Hims may mislead patients and healthcare providers, increasing safety risks and potentially compromising patient health and treatment outcomes.
- Legal Relief Request: The company is seeking a permanent injunction to halt the sales of these compounded products and is requesting damages, demonstrating its firm stance on protecting intellectual property and market integrity.
- Market Reaction: Novo Nordisk's stock is trading at $50.16 on the New York Stock Exchange, up $2.49 or 5.21% from the previous trading day, reflecting a positive market response to its legal actions.
See More
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- Microsoft Downgrade: Melius Research downgraded Microsoft from buy to hold, citing that CEO Satya Nadella has lost the AI narrative and that the stock appears overpriced based on new free cash flow estimates, which may undermine investor confidence.
- Eli Lilly Acquires Orna: Eli Lilly announced the acquisition of biotech firm Orna Therapeutics for up to $2.4 billion, leading to a premarket surge in Eli Lilly and rival Novo Nordisk shares, indicating a positive market response towards biotech investments.
- Kroger's New CEO: Kroger's stock advanced nearly 7% in premarket trading after reports indicated that former Walmart executive Greg Foran will be appointed as the new CEO, having previously led Walmart's U.S. division for six years, suggesting a strategic shift for Kroger.
- Robinhood Upgrade: Wolfe Research upgraded Robinhood from hold to buy, despite the stock's recent decline amid a major cryptocurrency sell-off, as analysts believe its future potential remains strong, which could attract renewed investor interest.
See More
Novo Nordisk Sues Hims for Patent Infringement
- Legal Action: Novo Nordisk has filed a lawsuit against Hims for infringing U.S. Patent 8,129,343, concerning Hims' compounded semaglutide products in the U.S. market, indicating Novo's strong intent to protect its intellectual property rights.
- Market Risks: Novo claims that Hims' compounded products mislead consumers and healthcare professionals, potentially jeopardizing patient health, which highlights the prevalence of non-compliant drugs in the market affecting patient safety and treatment efficacy.
- Drug Purity Issues: Testing by Novo revealed that compounded injectable semaglutide drugs contained impurities as high as 86%, while oral compounded drugs had impurities up to 75%, raising concerns about severe immune responses and drug interactions, further intensifying public worries over drug safety.
- Stock Price Movements: Novo Nordisk's (NVO) stock rose 6.84% to $50.90, while Hims' (HIMS) stock fell 26.93% to $16.83, reflecting the market's positive reaction to Novo's legal action and negative expectations regarding Hims' potential risks.
See More
Eli Lilly Acquires Orna Therapeutics for Up to $2.4 Billion
- Acquisition Deal: Eli Lilly has agreed to acquire biotechnology company Orna Therapeutics for up to $2.4 billion in cash, which includes an upfront payment and subsequent payments tied to clinical development milestones, providing Lilly with a broad platform for innovation in genetic medicine and in vivo cell engineering.
- Patent Lawsuit: Novo Nordisk has filed a lawsuit against Hims & Hers, accusing the telehealth platform of infringing its rights to a key U.S. patent related to its weight loss therapy, semaglutide, claiming that HIMS unlawfully mass-marketed unapproved versions of semaglutide drugs, including the newly launched oral obesity treatment, Wegovy.
- Renewable Energy Agreements: TotalEnergies has signed two long-term power purchase agreements to deliver 1 GW of solar capacity to supply Google’s data centers in Texas, which is expected to provide 28 TWh of renewable electricity over 15 years, further solidifying its position in the renewable energy market.
- Earnings Beat: Apollo Global Management reported Q4 results with an adjusted EPS of $2.47, surpassing the average analyst estimate of $2.04, and showing growth from $2.17 in Q3 and $2.22 in Q4 2024, reflecting robust lending growth and increased management fees.
See More
