Novo Nordisk reported that in the first full week following the January launch of its oral Wegovy formulation, U.S. pharmacies filled approximately 12,000 prescriptions, well above the consensus estimate of 7,500 scripts. Internal data indicate that more than 2,500 unique prescribers wrote for the new pill during that period, signaling rapid physician adoption. Market research firm BioTrack projects that if this pace continues, oral Wegovy could account for 15–20% of the company’s total weekly weight-loss prescription volume by the end of Q1.

Shares of Novo Nordisk surged 9.1% on the day the initial demand figures were released, marking the largest one-day gain since the company’s Q3 2025 results. Trading volume for the session reached 28 million shares, nearly double the three-month daily average. Several buy-side analysts raised their ratings, citing oral Wegovy’s strong launch as a catalyst to defend market share against injectable competitors. Short interest in NVO fell to 1.8% of the float, down from 2.4% at the end of December.

To meet accelerating demand, Novo Nordisk plans to expand its oral peptide manufacturing capacity by adding a third specialized fill–finish line at its Kalundborg facility, targeting an increase from 400,000 to 600,000 weekly doses by mid-2026. Management reiterated guidance that weight-loss products could generate DKK 40–45 billion in sales this year, and they indicated that oral Wegovy is on track to contribute DKK 4–5 billion in incremental revenue in H1. Investors will be watching inventory levels and order backlogs as leading indicators of sustained uptake.