Novo Nordisk CEO Mike Doustdar says he is not happy that so many people have lost money on the company’s shares, and signals that the Wegovy pill will reach Denmark by the end of 2027.
In an interview published on November 12, 2026, Doustdar spoke to DR’s business podcast Sorte tal about the crisis that sent the pharmaceutical company’s share price into freefall. He told DR that he is of course not happy that so many people have lost their money.
According to DR, Doustdar said those who lost money include Danish pensioners and American investment funds. They could have invested elsewhere but chose to entrust their money to Novo, he said, so losing it cannot be a satisfying outcome. Asked whether investor trust is returning, he described the task as a marathon rather than a sprint.
From over 1,000 kroner to under 300
DR reports that the share price peaked in mid-June 2024 and has mostly moved in one direction since. In a little over two years, a single Novo share has fallen from above 1,000 kroner to below 300 kroner. Novo was first to market with the new generation of weight loss medicine, but American rival Eli Lilly quickly took the lead.
The company still earns large sums, but growth stopped abruptly and the share price halved within a single year, per DR. That cost then CEO Lars Fruergaard Jørgensen his job. Doustdar took over on August 7, 2025, and said he started on a day when the competitor was running three times faster and taking market share.
In September 2025, Novo announced one of the largest layoff rounds in Danish corporate history, which has cost more than 10,000 people their jobs. Doustdar told DR the decision was necessary but hard, because change hurts most for those affected. He said the goal is for a 103 year old company to still exist in 200 years.
The Wegovy pill and the Danish market
DR notes that Novo has raised its sales expectations for the third time this year, partly on sales of the Wegovy pill. Motley Fool counted the November 4, 2026 results as the second upgrade in three months and reported the shares rose about 5 percent, while Doustdar declined to give 2027 guidance. Doustdar separately discussed the difficult year in a DRTV interview broadcast on November 11, 2026.
The pill version is on the market in the United States, the United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates and Germany, but Novo has not officially launched it in Denmark. It has reached Danish pharmacies through a parallel importer, and a prescription is required. Doustdar said Novo’s head of international operations has promised at least 20 markets by the end of next year, and that the home market cannot be left out.
What the Wegovy pill rollout means for internationals in Denmark
Prescription only medicine in Denmark requires a recept, issued by a doctor, before a pharmacy can dispense it. Parallel import means a separate company buys an EU approved product in another country and sells it on the Danish market, rather than the manufacturer launching it here. That is the only route currently available for the Wegovy pill, according to DR, and access runs through the same healthcare channels as other prescription drugs.
For residents who hold Novo shares directly, DR’s figures put the fall at more than 700 kroner per share since the mid-June 2024 peak, a drop Doustdar linked to losses for Danish pensioners and foreign funds. What is not yet known is the exact launch date in Denmark, the price of the pill here, or whether any public reimbursement will apply. Doustdar gave no date beyond the end of next year target for at least 20 markets.
