--- title: "The Inventor of Ozempic Is Suddenly Sacking Huge Numbers of Employees" description: "Novo Nordisk, the drugmaker behind Ozempic, is laying off thousands of workers as it struggles against competition from other pharma firms." date: "2025-09-12" modified: "2025-09-12" authors: - name: "Noor Al-Sibai" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/nooralsibai" url: "https://futurism.com/neoscope/novo-nordisk-ozempic-layoffs" categories: - "Health & Medicine" - "Medical" - "RX and Medicine" tags: - "big pharma" - "novo nordisk" - "ozempic" - "wegovy" - "Weight Loss" --- # The Inventor of Ozempic Is Suddenly Sacking Huge Numbers of Employees ![Novo Nordisk, the drugmaker behind Ozempic, is laying off thousands of workers as it struggles against competition from other pharma firms.]() *\Image: Kristian Tuxen Ladegaard Berg / SOPA Images / LightRocket via Getty / Futurism\* Novo Nordisk, the [102-year-old]() Danish drugmaker behind the blockbuster drugs Ozempic and Wegovy, is laying off thousands of workers as it seeks to recoup some of the revenue it's lost to competitors amid the GLP-1 boom. In a [press release](), the pharmaceutical giant announced that it would soon let go of 11 percent of its workforce, totaling about 9,000 of its 78,400 employees around the world. About 5,000 of those cuts, Novo explained, would take place in Denmark as it embarks on a "company-wide transformation" to save about $1.3 billion by the end of 2026. Less than a month ago, [Novo admitted to *Reuters*]() that it had implemented a "hiring freeze in non-business critical areas." Though the company didn't elaborate on the decision, news of the freeze came just a few weeks after a one-two punch of market-spooking news: the issuance of a profit warning at the end of July, which alerted the stock market that the company's profit margins were lower than expected, and the naming of a new CEO, Maziar Mike Doustdar. The two events precipitated Novo stock plummeting 21 percent, to [just below $47](), at the beginning of August; it has since [recouped to $54.18](), but that's [still way down]() from its high this time last year at more than $136 per share, or its all-time high above $142 in June 2024. The fine print behind this layoff announcement, as the [*New York Times*]() and [other]() [outlets]() note, revolves around the company's shrinking share of the market for glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor/agonist drugs, the new — and expensive — class of injections shepherded in by Ozempic and its weight loss sister drug, Wegovy, that mimic the stomach's feeling of fullness. Though Ozempic is still [nearly synonymous]() with all GLP-1s in general, competition from Eli Lilly, the American drug company that makes the diabetes injectable Mounjaro and its obesity counterpart Zepbound, have narrowed Novo's market. It certainly doesn't help that [Lilly offered discounts on Zepbound](), which like Mounjaro uses the active ingredient tirzepatide, for those willing to fill their doses themselves; nor does it that compounding pharmacies, [which are by nature unregulated](), have for a while now been selling [much cheaper]() grey market versions of semaglutide, the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy. In Novo's press release, Doustdar, the new CEO, obliquely acknowledged the competition facing the company. "Our markets are evolving, particularly in obesity, as it has become more competitive and consumer-driven," the CEO said. "Our company must evolve as well." Like most CEOs enacting layoffs, Doustdar [offered crocodile tears]() to the workers he's terminating, while celebrating the money Novo will save with them gone. "It is always difficult to see talented and valued colleagues go, but we are convinced that this is the right thing to do for the long-term success of Novo Nordisk," he continued. "We need a shift in our mindset and approach so we can be faster and more agile." Just a day after announcing the job cuts, the CEO also told employees that at the beginning of 2026, they must all work in-office full-time — though as a [Novo spokesperson told *Fierce Pharma*](), individual employees and managers can make alternate arrangements if need be. "This is designed to foster a stronger sense of belonging, strengthen relationships, enhance collaboration and accelerate decision-making processes," the spox said in their statement. As of now, it's unclear how demanding a return to office will help lower Novo's bottom line. If it really wants to make back some of the money it lost, the Danish drugmaker could simply keep lowering the price of Ozempic and Wegovy — which [now costs about $500]() per month for those without insurance, down from $1000 or more until recently — and put it on par with China, where a single-month supply [costs an average of $100](), and can be obtained within the hour. **More on Ozempic:** [*Scientists Find Evidence That Ozempic Can Reverse Aging*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've often been drawn to unpacking the narratives that underlie technological, scientific and medical progress, with a special interest in areas of conflict and ambiguity that end up setting agendas and steering the fates of both elites and the hoi polloi. I'm a committed generalist, but I often find myself returning to work involving NASA and the private space sector, the effects of AI on media and society, and the mechanics of the pharmaceutical industry, with a specific focus on the spread of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. Prior to Futurism, I worked for publications ranging from Media Matters and Truthdig to Raw Story and Bustle. I'm also the author of "Myspace Scene Queens," a 2024 title in Instar Books' acclaimed "Remember the Internet" series. My work at Futurism has been cited by outlets including the New Yorker, Slate, Nieman Lab, the Verge, the MIT Technology Review, the Sunday Times, and the Daily Beast. I grew up in North Carolina, attended the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and now live in Brooklyn, New York. In my free time, I'm an avid reader and music fan; you can probably find me at a local poetry reading, concert, underground rave, or DJ set. I'm the proud parent of an ineffable orange cat named Mee-Mow. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()