Novo Nordisk A/S (NYSE:NVO), the Danish pharmaceutical giant behind weight-loss drugs Wegovy and Saxenda, is facing scrutiny over its sponsorship deals with U.K. pharmacies.
Critics argue these arrangements reveal troubling conflicts of interest and highlight gaps in regulating prescription drug advertising.
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Between 2021 and 2023, Novo Nordisk provided substantial funding to major pharmacy chains such as Boots and Lloyds as well as smaller online clinics.
The sponsorships, valued in the hundreds of thousands of pounds, funded advertising campaigns, pharmacist training and the creation of patient resources.
In return, pharmacies supplied Novo Nordisk with detailed reports on prescription numbers, advertising performance and patient demographics.
While Novo Nordisk insists these sponsorships adhered to industry standards, critics have raised concerns about the ethical implications of such financial ties.
The company's sponsorship practices also drew regulatory scrutiny.
In 2022, Novo Nordisk signed a $119,000 (95,000 pounds) deal with Boots to fund training and advertising for its weight-loss services.
Additional deals with other pharmacies provided free supplies and marketing materials.
However, in October 2024, the UK's Prescription Medicines Code of Practice Authority (PMCPA) ruled that these arrangements violated industry codes, citing a lack of partnership independence and inadequate safeguards against incentivizing prescriptions.
Further issues emerged when Novo Nordisk funded online clinics such as the Slimming Clinic and WebMed pharmacy. Both were later found to have illegally promoted prescription-only weight-loss drugs, including Wegovy and Saxenda, on social media.
Posts by the clinics featured images of weight-loss injection pens and direct references to the drugs, violating UK advertising rules.
Novo Nordisk denied knowledge of the clinics' promotional practices and emphasized that its sponsorships were intended for patient education, not marketing.
A 2023 investigation by The Guardian found that nearly 50 companies were reprimanded over similar breaches between January 2023 and September 2024.
In the new year, the U.K.'s Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) urged the public to avoid purchasing weight-loss medicines without a prescription from unauthorized sources like beauty salons, social media platforms or unverified websites.
Price Action: NVO stock is down 1.01% at $84.17 during the premarket session at last check Tuesday.
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