How Novo Nordisk’s Rybelsus went from pandemic washout to blockbuster, and what’s next for oral weight loss
Novo Nordisk’s Rybelsus pill was long expected to be a hit out of the gate.
The Danish drugmaker cashed in a priority review voucher in early 2019 for what would be the first oral GLP-1, primed by positive studies showing reduced blood sugar in patients with type 2 diabetes. Analysts and company insiders anticipated blockbuster status for the oral version of semaglutide, with peak sales expected to hit up to $5 billion — and potentially follow the trajectory of its sibling injectable Ozempic, which reached $1.6 billion in sales in less than two years.
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