Novo’s New Obesity Drug Is Targeting the Most Dramatic Weight Loss Yet

Novo Nordisk A/S’s appetite-blocking shot semaglutide, sold under the brand names Ozempic and Wegovy, will probably become the world’s top-selling drug franchise next year. It broke open a market that could reach $130 billion by 2030 and has a cultural reach broader than any new drug since Viagra. Yet to keep its lead in the red-hot field of obesity, Novo must prove by December that it has something even better.

The Danish drugmaker’s arch-rival Eli Lilly & Co. has introduced another shot — Zepbound, also known as Mounjaro — that so far has shown even more weight loss than Wegovy.