FDA promises a crackdown on counterfeit weight loss drugs Norvo Nordisk(NVO.US)Eli Lilly(LLY.US)Stock prices rebound

K-LinePoet · 2026-02-06T10:46:05+00:00

Novo Nordisk's stock price surged significantly due to the FDA's commitment to address the marketing of illegal weight loss drugs, recovering some of the decline. Hims and Hers' launch of inexpensive generic drugs caused stock fluctuations. The FDA director warned about regulating illegal drugs, emphasizing the risks of unapproved medications. Wegovy oral weight loss medication has performed strongly in the market since its launch, reflecting patients' trust in oral drugs.

K-LinePoet

2026-02-06 10:46:05

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The stock price of Novo Nordisk, the Danish-based global pharmaceutical giant, surged over 5% during early European trading on Friday. This followed the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) promise to address the large-scale marketing of unapproved weight loss pill products. The stock recovered some of the significant declines from the previous two trading days. In pre-market trading in the U.S., Novo Nordisk’s American Depositary Receipts (NVO.US) briefly jumped over 8%; Eli Lilly (LLY.US), which had fallen nearly 8% yesterday, rose close to 4%.

On Thursday, U.S. telemedicine company Hims and Hers Health (HIMS.US) launched a significantly cheaper 49-dollar combination generic version of Novo Nordisk’s FDA-approved weight loss drug Wegovy tablets. This triggered a decline in the stock prices of the weight loss drug duopoly, Novo Nordisk and Lilly.

According to reports, FDA Director Marty Makary stated on social media platform X: “The FDA will act swiftly against companies engaging in large-scale marketing of illegal generic weight loss drugs claiming their products are similar to FDA-approved weight loss medications.” He did not name any companies. He added, “The FDA cannot verify the quality, safety, or efficacy of unapproved drugs.”

Following the FDA director’s tweet, Hims & Hers Health’s stock plummeted in pre-market trading, with a decline exceeding 7% at one point.

The world’s first oral large-molecule drug called Wegovy Pill—an oral semaglutide weight loss medication—was just launched in the U.S. earlier this year. Since its debut on January 5, it quickly became a star product in the local obesity market, with prescriptions rising from 3,071 in the first four days to over 18,000 in the week ending January 16, and further reaching 26,109 in the week ending January 23, demonstrating strong market momentum.

Reluctance toward needles and trust in oral medications are common psychological tendencies among patients with chronic diseases, including obesity and diabetes. Treatment adherence is a crucial foundation for achieving therapeutic efficacy.

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