Finally, some good news for Novo Nordisk (NYSE: NVO) shareholders! Twice in the past two months, the Danish manufacturer of GLP-1 drugs for weight loss and diabetes treatment has reported clinical trial results for refinements of its original Ozempic and Wegovy drugs.

Novo Nordisk said a higher dose of its drug Wegovy led to greater weight loss in patients during a late-stage trial, but the results fell short of the weight loss achieved with Eli Lilly's rival drug Zepbound,

In other news, Novo Nordisk announced the results from its phase 3b STEP UP semaglutide trial today. Specifically, the company said semaglutide 7.2 milligram (mg) injections over a 72-week period resulted in an average weight loss of 20.7%, better than the 17.5% weight loss achieved in a prior trial of semaglutide 2.4 mg injections.

Novo Nordisk's amycretin trial results highlight significant weight loss in adults with obesity, with further clinical development planned.

Just how much Medicare price negotiations will negatively impact Novo Nordisk, though, depends on what the final negotiated prices for Ozempic, Wegovy, and Rybelsus will be. In Medicare's negotiations for 2026, the new prices achieved an average of 22% savings.

In the ongoing quest to expand semaglutide’s clinical pedigree and cement the GLP-1's market position, Novo Nordisk is rolling out new data on a higher-dose injection in obesity. | In the phase 3b STEP UP study,

Novo Nordisk shares rose sharply after the Danish pharmaceutical giant said an experimental weight-loss shot helped patients lose 22% of their bodyweight in a clinical trial.

KEY TAKEAWAYS Novo Nordisk's U.S.-listed shares are surging 9% Friday morning after the Danish drugmaker reported early stage results for its amycretin weight-loss drug.The maker of Ozempic and Wegovy said that its Phase 1b/2a trial showed people achieved weight loss from a mean baseline body weight of 92.