Novo Nordisk is doubling down on obesity and diabetes. Speaking with Inside Precision Medicine at the 2026 J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference, head of research Jacob Petersen said recent internal changes have pushed the company to go deeper—and broader—across both diseases. The aim, Petersen emphasized, is not just incremental weight loss but better cardiovascular, renal, and metabolic outcomes, fewer gastrointestinal side effects, and less frequent dosing. That means Novo Nordisk is expanding beyond injectables into oral options like the newly launched Wegovy pill, while building next-generation combinations spanning incretins GLP-1 (Glucagon-Like Peptide-1) and GIP (Glucose-Dependent Insulinotropic Polypeptide) and amylins, glucagon, and other pathways.Â
With nearly a billion people overweight or obese worldwide—and Novo currently reaching only about one percent—patient choice and segmentation are becoming central to strategy: pills for those who prefer them, injections for those who don’t mind, and increasingly tailored regimens aligned to distinct patient profiles. That push is being fueled by a broader rethink of both biology and modality. Petersen outlined how Novo is actively scanning roughly 200 external opportunities, selectively pursuing acquisitions and collaborations while underscoring a key lesson from the GLP-1 boom: drugs within the same class are not interchangeable. Different GLP-1s can produce significantly different effects on weight loss and comorbidities, and we must demonstrate these benefits, not just assume them.
Internally, Novo Nordisk is developing new medicines well beyond its peptide roots, such as small molecules, RNA interference, and early gene-based approaches, to open up intracellular targets and the possibility of monthly, quarterly, or even one-time treatments. But scientific ambition alone won’t be enough. Scalability and cost of goods are equally critical if therapies are to reach mass populations. With as many as two billion people projected to be living with diabetes, obesity, or overweight by 2030, Petersen described the moment as “the tip of the iceberg”—and Novo Nordisk’s challenge as turning today’s science into medicines that can realistically reach hundreds of millions of patients.
