Novo Nordisk’s Weight-Loss Drug Wegovy Launched In Thailand, Marks Entry Into Southeast Asia

Novo Nordisk (NVO) has launched its weight-loss drug Wegovy in Thailand, Reuters reported on Monday, citing an executive of the drugmaker’s Thai subsidiary.

The launch in Thailand marks Wegovy’s entry into the Southeast Asian market.

Enrico Canal Bruland, vice president and general manager of Novo's Thai subsidiary, told Reuters that the firm received approval from the Thai FDA in 2023. Novo Nordisk's biggest rival, Eli Lilly, is yet to release its weight loss drug Zepbound in the country.

The executive, however, did not detail Wegovy’s pricing in Thailand or the company’s plans for expansion into other Southeast Asian markets, the report noted.

Currently available for prescription in private hospitals in Thailand, it will also be available in public hospitals soon, Bruland said, as reported by Reuters.

"Over the last four years, we have invested approximately 500 million Thai baht in clinical trials in Thailand," he added.

According to the World Health Organization, 42% of Thailand’s adult population fell into the obese category as of 2020.

The economic toll of overweight and obesity in Thailand is estimated at 281 billion baht ($8.38 billion) annually, equivalent to 4,000 baht per capita —roughly 1.5% of Thailand’s GDP in 2019, the organization said.

Earlier this year, Thailand’s Bureau of Nutrition hosted an event aimed at raising awareness and promoting policy changes to reduce obesity, including regulating food marketing to reduce the content of sugar, fat, and salt.

Novo Nordisk’s diabetes drug, Ozempic, is already available in Thailand. Ozempic and Wegovy have the same active ingredient, semaglutide.

NVO stock is down by about 29% so far this year and by about 51% over the past 12 months.

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