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Novo Nordisk Bows Out of Bidding War, Focuses on Pipeline Revamp
11 Nov
Summary
- Novo Nordisk withdraws from bidding war for Metsera, ceding to Pfizer's $10B deal
- Novo faces competition from Eli Lilly, with its treatments outperforming Novo's
- Novo lowers growth guidance, citing competition and pricing pressures

In a strategic move, pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk has withdrawn from a bidding war for clinical-stage biotech Metsera, ceding the $10 billion deal to rival Pfizer. The decision comes as Novo faces mounting challenges, including heightened competition from Eli Lilly and pricing pressures on its obesity and diabetes treatments.
Novo's withdrawal from the Metsera acquisition demonstrates its capital discipline, despite its relatively strong balance sheet compared to peers. However, the company recognizes the need to further strengthen its late-stage pipeline to stay competitive. Novo's current treatments, such as Wegovy and Ozempic, have struggled to match the performance of Eli Lilly's Zepbound and Mounjaro, which have shown more pronounced results.




