Mon Nov 24 12:20:00 UTC 2025: News Article:

Novo Nordisk Shares Plunge as Alzheimer’s Drug Trial Fails

COPENHAGEN – Shares of Novo Nordisk plummeted to a four-year low on Monday after the pharmaceutical giant announced that its highly anticipated trial of semaglutide, the active ingredient in its blockbuster drugs Ozempic and Wegovy, for Alzheimer’s disease failed to meet its primary endpoint.

The trial aimed to determine if semaglutide could slow the progression of Alzheimer’s. While the drug demonstrated positive effects on disease-related biomarkers in two separate trials, these improvements did not translate into a clinically significant delay in cognitive decline. The target was to slow patient’s cognitive decline by at least 20%.

As of 12:15 a.m. GMT (7:15 a.m. ET), Novo Nordisk’s stock had fallen 8.3% to 279 Danish kroner, marking its lowest level since July 2021. The news also impacted other pharmaceutical companies, with Eli Lilly shares dipping by about 1%. Conversely, Biogen stock saw a 5% increase in premarket trading.

Prior to the results, analysts had tempered expectations for the trial. “Based on the significant unmet need in Alzheimer’s disease as well as a number of indicative data points, we felt we had a responsibility to explore semaglutide’s potential, despite a low likelihood of success,” stated Novo Nordisk’s Chief Scientific Officer Martin Holst Lange.

Alzheimer’s disease, the most common form of dementia, presents a significant medical challenge. Current treatments, such as Eli Lilly’s Kisunla and Biogen/Eisai’s Leqembi, offer only modest improvements, slowing disease progression by up to a third, and carry the risk of severe side effects. This outcome highlights the ongoing difficulties in developing effective treatments for this increasingly prevalent condition.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

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