Business
FDA approves first GLP-1 pill for obesity from Wegovy maker Novo Nordisk
The logo of pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk is displayed in front of its offices in Bagsvaerd, on the outskirts of Copenhagen, Denmark, Nov. 24, 2025.
Tom Little | Reuters
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Monday approved the first-ever GLP-1 pill for obesity from Wegovy maker Novo Nordisk, a landmark decision that health experts say could open up treatment access to more patients.
Novo Nordisk said it expects to launch the pill in early 2026. The Danish drugmaker said starting in early January, the starting dose of 1.5 milligrams will be available in pharmacies and via select telehealth providers with savings offers for $149 per month.
That’s the same price that cash-paying patients can access the starting dose of the pill on President Donald Trump’s direct-to-consumer website, TrumpRx, under a deal Novo Nordisk struck with his administration last month. Trump’s site also launches in January.
Novo Nordisk did not say how much higher doses of the drug would cost, but said additional information on coverage and savings options for eligible patients will be available at that time as well.
Shares of Novo Nordisk gained roughly 9% in extended trading Monday.
The FDA’s approval also clears the pill for use to reduce the risk of major cardiovascular events, such as death, heart attack or stroke, in adults with obesity and established cardiovascular disease, according to Novo Nordisk. That’s consistent with the approval label of the company’s blockbuster weight loss drug Wegovy, which shares the same active ingredient, semaglutide.
The move gives Novo Nordisk a head start over chief rival Eli Lilly, which is currently the dominant player in the market and is racing to launch its own obesity pill. Pills are the next battleground for the two drugmakers, which established the booming GLP-1 space that some analysts say could be worth roughly $100 billion by the 2030s.
Wall Street thinks there’s plenty of room for pills in the market, with Goldman Sachs analyst saying in August that pills could capture a 24% share — or around $22 billion — of the 2030 global weight loss drug market.
“What we’ve learned through years of research is that having an oral option really kind of opens up, activates and motivates different segments to seek treatment,” Dave Moore, Novo Nordisk’s executive vice president of U.S. operations, told CNBC ahead of the approval. “To have that conversation with their doctor to see if this is something that might be right for them.”
“That’s what we’re excited about — to be able to give people an option and make sure we have access and ease of access like we have been doing with our injections,” he continued.
The approval is based on a phase three trial that followed more than 300 adults with obesity but not diabetes.
In that study, a 25-milligram dose of Novo Nordisk’s oral semaglutide helped patients lose up to 16.6% of their weight on average after 64 weeks, according to results from the trial presented at a medical conference in 2024. That weight loss was 13.6% when the company analyzed all patients regardless of whether they stopped the drug.
The pill appears to be slightly more effective than an experimental oral drug from Eli Lilly, which is still waiting for FDA approval.
But unlike Novo Nordisk’s pill, Eli Lilly’s treatment is not a peptide medication. That means it is absorbed more easily by the body and does not require dietary restrictions. People who take Novo Nordisk’s pill have to wait 30 minutes before eating or drinking each day.
Moore said the prices of the pill get costs closer to what some people are paying for unapproved, compounded versions of branded GLP-1s, some of which are still being illegally mass marketed and sold in the U.S.
Patients flocked to the cheaper copycats when Ozempic and Wegovy were in short supply over the last two years due to skyrocketing demand, or if they didn’t have insurance coverage for the costly treatments. During FDA-declared shortages, pharmacists can legally make compounded versions of brand-name medications. But the agency earlier this year determined that the shortage of semaglutide is over, barring the practice in most cases.
“It continues to be alarming and disturbing for us,” Moore told CNBC, referring to illegitimate ingredients that are imported into the U.S. illegally and used by some compounding pharmacies to create copycat versions of GLP-1s.
This is breaking news. Please refresh for updates.
The price of Bitcoin fell below $70,000 on February 5, down 44% from its October 2025 high of $126,210, as investors shift interest to gold and global economic concerns rise.
Earlier in the day, Bitcoin briefly touched $63,000 before closing at $70,000.
Last week alone, its value dropped more than $20,000, reducing it by almost a quarter.
Compared to four months ago, Bitcoin has now lost about half its peak value.
Analysts say investor interest in Bitcoin is waning, with growing pessimism surrounding the broader cryptocurrency market.
Business
Gold, Silver ETFs Sink Up To 10% As Precious Metals Rout Deepens; What Should Investors Do Now?
Last Updated:
Silver and gold-linked commodity ETFs extended their slide, falling as much as 10%, tracking sharp drop in precious metal futures on the MCX
Silver ETFs
Silver and gold-linked commodity ETFs extended their slide on Friday, falling as much as 10%, tracking a sharp drop in precious metal futures on the MCX for the second straight session.
The decline came amid a global sell-off in technology stocks and a strengthening US dollar, which wiped out most of the gains from a brief rebound earlier in the week.
Silver ETFs lead losses
Kotak Silver ETF was the worst hit, tumbling 10%, while HDFC Silver ETF, SBI Silver ETF and Edelweiss Silver ETF declined about 9% each. Bandhan Silver ETF limited losses to around 6%.
Among gold-linked funds, Angel One Gold ETF slipped 8%, while Zerodha Gold ETF fell about 5%.
Volatility persists after steep correction
Hareesh V, Head of Commodity Research at Geojit Investments, said gold and silver continue to witness heightened volatility after last week’s sharp selloff. The correction was driven by hawkish US Federal Reserve expectations following Kevin Warsh’s nomination, a stronger dollar, and steep margin hikes by the CME that forced leveraged positions to unwind. Profit-taking after record highs further amplified price swings, keeping sentiment fragile.
He advised bullion investors to remain patient and avoid reacting to short-term volatility driven by margin hikes, profit booking and policy uncertainty.
“Gradual, staggered accumulation can help manage timing risks, as long-term fundamentals such as geopolitical tensions, central bank demand and currency pressures remain supportive. Closely tracking the US dollar and upcoming Federal Reserve signals is crucial in this phase of elevated volatility,” he said.
MCX futures slide sharply
In Friday’s session, MCX silver futures for March 5 delivery plunged 6%, or ₹14,628, to ₹2,29,187 per kg. Gold futures for April 2 delivery also weakened, slipping ₹2,675, or 2%, to ₹1,49,396 per 10 grams.
Globally, silver remained extremely volatile. Prices rebounded as much as 3% after plunging 10% to below the $65 level, a more than six-week low. Despite the bounce, silver was still down nearly 16% for the week. In the previous week, it had fallen 18%, marking its steepest weekly decline since 2011.
Margin hikes add pressure
The selloff spilled into domestic ETFs after sharp margin hikes in precious metal futures. On Thursday, commodity-based ETFs dropped as much as 21%, led by silver ETFs, while gold ETFs declined up to 7%.
Margins on silver futures were raised by 4.5% and on gold futures by 1% effective February 5, followed by an additional hike of 2.5% on silver and 2% on gold on Friday. As a result, total additional margins now stand at 7% for silver futures and 3% for gold futures from February 6.
“Markets often see sharp corrections after extended rallies. Broader risk sentiment and geopolitical cues can trigger profit booking in commodities, especially where positioning has been crowded,” said Nirpendra Yadav, Senior Commodity Research Analyst at Bonanza.
However, he added that industrial demand for silver remains strong, with a tight global supply environment and persistent deficits supporting prices over the medium to long term. Short-term intraday swings, he said, do not alter the long-term outlook.
Trade deal, macro cues in focus
Ross Maxwell, Global Strategy Operations Lead at VT Markets, said the India–US trade deal could improve risk appetite by easing supply-chain frictions and reducing tariff-linked inflation pressures.
“In this context, gold and silver will balance lower trade tensions against ongoing macro uncertainty. A clearer trade outlook can reduce risk aversion, limiting upside in precious metals,” he said.
Maxwell added that gold remains supported by concerns around inflation, currency stability and geopolitical risks, making it attractive as a strategic hedge rather than a short-term trade. Silver, he noted, also benefits from industrial demand, meaning improved global trade expectations could lend support through stronger manufacturing activity.
“While reduced tariffs may dampen fear-driven buying, both gold and silver are likely to remain structurally firm as long as economic and policy uncertainty persists,” he said.
Click here to add News18 as your preferred news source on Google.
February 06, 2026, 12:08 IST
Read More
Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) on Friday saw a sharp decline in share prices on the last day of the trading week amid profit-taking by investors.
After a brief period of gains at the market’s opening, the KSE-100 experienced a sharp decline.
It lost over 1467.24 points or -0.74 percent, falling to 186,364.84, losing three key psychological levels during the trading session.
Investors are closely watching the market amid the ongoing volatility.
Out of 564 active companies in the ready market, 163 advanced, 267 declined, while 134 remained unchanged.
On Wednesday, the benchmark KSE-100 Index of the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX)witnessed a bullish trend, gaining 931.34 points, a positive change of 0.50 percent, to close at 187,832.08 points.
During the session, the ready market recorded a trading volume of 1,195.264 million shares with a traded value of Rs 44.102 billion, against 848.559 million shares valuing Rs 50.026 billion in the previous session.
Out of 483 active companies in the ready market, 246 advanced, 188 declined, while 49 remained unchanged.
K-Electric Limited topped the volume chart with 590.867 million shares, followed by Waves Home Appliances with 36.307 million shares and First National Equities with 32.938 million shares.
The top gainers included Nestle Pakistan Limited, which rose by Rs 75.39 to close at Rs 7,906.13, and Unilever Pakistan Foods Limited, which gained Rs 68.36 to settle at Rs 27,208.17.
On the losing side, Blessed Textiles Limited declined by Rs 67.48 to close at Rs 607.29, while Sazgar Engineering Works Limited fell by Rs 30.58 to close at Rs 2,271.47.
Australian apparel imports down but textiles up in July-Dec 2025
Iran, US start crucial talks in Oman as confrontation looms
France’s LVMH to propose Ariane Gorin for board seat at April AGM
-
Business1 week agoPSX witnesses 6,000-point on Middle East tensions | The Express Tribune
-
Tech1 week agoThe Surface Laptop Is $400 Off
-
Tech1 week agoHere’s the Company That Sold DHS ICE’s Notorious Face Recognition App
-
Tech4 days agoHow to Watch the 2026 Winter Olympics
-
Tech6 days agoRight-Wing Gun Enthusiasts and Extremists Are Working Overtime to Justify Alex Pretti’s Killing
-
Business1 week agoBudget 2026: Defence, critical minerals and infra may get major boost
-
Entertainment1 week agoPeyton List talks new season of "School Spirits" and performing in off-Broadway hit musical
-
Fashion7 days agoItaly’s Brunello Cucinelli debuts Callimacus AI e-commerce experience