Global Scans · Pharmaceuticals · Weekly Summary

• [New] Novo Nordisk is raising its forecast for 2026 as the weight-loss drug Wegovy is selling better than expected, helped by a pill version launched in January. Sweden Herald
• [New] The pharmaceutical group said it now expects adjusted sales and operating profit for 2026 to decline between 4% and 12% at constant exchange rates, representing a narrower contraction than previously anticipated and reflecting stronger expectations for its GLP-1 treatment portfolio. Yahoo Finance
• [New] President Donald Trump's deals with pharmaceutical companies to drop some of their U.S. prescription drug prices to what they charge in other countries could save $529 billion over the next decade. MM+M - Medical Marketing and Media
• [New] The first psychedelic drug might be approved in 2026. Houston Public Media
• [New] FDA discussion spikes unusually, likely tied to drug shortages from Iranian supply disruptions that hit pharmaceutical imports. TheEye
• [New] The Ozempic oral pill, approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), offers an option for adults with type 2 diabetes to manage blood sugar and cardiovascular risk alongside diet and exercise. Pharmaceutical Technology
• [New] Mr Trump's most favoured nation drug policy, which aims to lower US prescription drug costs by pegging them to the lowest prices in other developed nations, could still lead to pricing pressures in the near term. ST
• [New] A single validated liver-chip workflow could save the pharmaceutical industry $3 billion by replacing a single toxicity test. Yahoo News UK
• [New] In 2026, overall drug spending will exceed $1 trillion for the first time - a milestone driven primarily by more patients using more medications, not because of rising prices. Cision PR Newswire
• [New] Drug-resistant infections could cause 40 million deaths by 2050. Wired
• [New] The weight-management drug Wegovy has become widely used and now comes in a convenient pill form - but recently, a study flagged that the popular medication may carry a risk of eye stroke, also called ischemic optic neuropathy (ION), which can cause rapid vision loss. Live Science
• [New] Momentum strengthened further after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration signaled an accelerated regulatory path, announcing that it will offer ultra-fast review mechanisms for select psychedelic therapies targeting conditions such as depression and PTSD. Yahoo Finance
• [New] Between 2023 and 2028, drugs with combined annual revenues exceeding $200 billion are expected to face generic or biosimilar competition. Extent Research
• [New] Weight-loss drug markets are expected to be worth $150 billion by 2030. The National
• [New] Wegovy, a drug approved for weight loss in the UAE, has been proven to reduce the risk of major heart problems, while the injectable diabetes drug Mounjaro has also been shown to have heart protective qualities. The National
• [New] The Massachusetts state Medicaid program, MassHealth, has decided to prefer a single obesity GLP-1 drug, and has made it clear to manufacturers that the preferred product will change, if necessary, to secure the best value to the Commonwealth. PubMed Central (PMC)
• A new regulatory framework proposed in February by the US Food and Drug Administration could dramatically reduce the time and cost of bringing personalised CRISPR-Cas gene-editing therapies to patients with rare genetic diseases. CRISPR Medicine
• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued an alert about a rapidly increasing public health threat from a drug-resistant form of the bacteria Shigella, which causes the intestinal illness shigellosis, across the United States. iHeartRadio
• Drug-resistant infections are becoming harder to treat, and experts estimate that antimicrobial resistance could lead to 39 million deaths between 2025 and 2050. ScienceDaily
• The United States is heavily reliant on imports of pharmaceuticals, approximately 53% of patented pharmaceutical products are produced abroad - threatening national security and access to life-saving medications. ArentFox Schiff

Last updated: 12 May 2026