Novo CEO on M&A: Let's see where the gaps are

• Novo Nordisk is diversifying its portfolio into adjacent areas like blood disorders, liver diseases, cardiovascular, and consumer RX, while maintaining focus on its core diabetes and obesity business.
• The oral weight-loss pill has seen strong uptake, with 80% of users being new to GLP-1 treatments, and offers a key advantage of no drug-to-drug interactions.
• The company aims to have 10 times more patients by the end of the decade and plans to launch five blockbuster drugs by 2030, targeting $23 billion in sales by 2035.
• Novo is actively engaged in the Chinese market with commercial, manufacturing, and research operations, planning further innovations there.
• The CEO expresses concern about Europe's drug discovery landscape, fearing it is not supportive enough for innovation, potentially driving talent and ideas elsewhere.

Novo Nordisk's CEO discusses the company's strategy to diversify beyond its core diabetes and obesity business into adjacent therapeutic areas through M&A and internal R&D. He highlights the success of their oral weight-loss pill, noting high patient uptake and no cannibalization of injectables. The CEO also expresses pride in addressing the societal unmet need for obesity treatment, focusing on 'health gain,' and outlines plans for the Chinese market while voicing concerns about Europe's drug discovery environment.