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Novo Nordisk A\/S Chief Executive Officer Mike Doustdar says the company\u2019s blockbuster obesity drugs could ultimately pull it into increasingly buzzy areas of healthcare, from longevity research to aesthetic medicine.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have to be obsessed with what our patients want,\u201d Doustdar said Sunday in an interview at the American Diabetes Association conference in New Orleans.\u00a0<\/p>\n
On longevity, Doustdar pointed to a growing body of research suggesting the main ingredient in Novo\u2019s drugs Ozempic and Wegovy \u2014 semaglutide \u2014 may do more than just help patients lose weight. In some studies, Novo has said the drug protects vital organs including the heart, liver and kidneys, and that these benefits appear to emerge before patients have lost significant weight.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf it is true that semaglutide slows down a lot of those conditions as a molecule, then maybe whether we like it or not, we are already in a bit of a longevity game,\u201d Doustdar said. \u201cWe\u2019re sitting in the middle of fully understanding that, and of course, exploring that.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
His comments come as the Danish drugmaker\u2019s focus on just two core areas \u2014 obesity and diabetes \u2014 has rankled some investors who want it to branch out in the face of generic competition and as rivals like Eli Lilly & Co. grab more share of the market. Unlike Lilly, whose portfolio spans oncology to immunology and neuroscience, Novo gets more than 90% of its revenue from diabetes and obesity treatments.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Read More:\u00a0Novo Says Priority Is Obesity Despite Investor Calls to Expand<\/p>\n
Doustdar, who\u00a0took on\u00a0his current role nearly a year ago, said Novo is increasingly asking its scientists to look beyond weight loss and identify what other diseases future generations of GLP-1 drugs could be designed to remedy. In his view, weight reduction may eventually become \u201cjust an appendix of a different purpose.\u201d \u00a0<\/p>\n
The CEO\u2019s comments reflect a growing belief across the drug industry that obesity medicines could eventually be used to prevent or delay some chronic diseases associated with aging. Novo itself is beginning to generate data suggesting semaglutide may actually affect biological processes linked to aging, not just body weight.\u00a0<\/p>\n
At Novo\u2019s annual general meeting earlier this year in Copenhagen, Chairman Lars Rebien Sorensen told reporters the company was focused on understanding its consumers and finding out \u201cwhat else they need.\u201d He cited knee pain, psoriasis and inflammation as possible areas of interest, though he stressed Novo wouldn\u2019t necessarily enter all of those fields. Lilly has prioritized programs targeting those conditions, among others like sleep apnea.\u00a0<\/p>\n
At the ADA conference, Novo researchers\u00a0presented\u00a0new data showing semaglutide reduced the biological age of the heart and kidneys as measured by experimental protein-based aging clocks. The effects appeared partly independent of weight loss and were associated with lower mortality risk, though the analysis doesn\u2019t prove the drug slows the aging process itself. \u00a0<\/p>\n
Asked whether he\u2019d consider investing in areas such as skincare, hair loss and other appearance-related conditions that have\u00a0become increasingly intertwined\u00a0with the rise of weight-loss drugs, Doustdar was quick to answer: \u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rather than citing a specific scientific breakthrough, he framed the opportunity as an extension of Novo\u2019s longstanding strategy of responding to market needs for improved patient outcomes. The company originally expanded into obesity after observing the challenges faced by people with diabetes, he noted.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Some analysts who attended the meeting walked away with the sense that change is afoot for Novo after a difficult period. The company\u2019s shares have fallen more than 12.7% this year through Friday\u2019s close amid pricing pressure and increasing competition.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWith Doustdar at the helm now, we get the sense that change is a fundamental priority, pushing the company to reevaluate historical processes regardless of how established they are,\u201d BMO Capital Markets analyst Evan Seigerman wrote in a note on Sunday.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
#Novo #Nordisk #CEO #weight #loss #longevity #andaesthetics<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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