3. Novo Nordisk oral diabetes pill
Novo Nordisk (NYSE:NVO) isn’t completely bypassing the traditional glucose injecting and monitoring process that comes with diabetes, but its oral diabetes pill has the potential to change the way it is treated.
The pill acts as an adjunct to diet and exercise to improve blood sugar control in adults with Type 2 diabetes. In September, the FDA approved the Rybelsus (semaglutide) tablets 7 mg or 14 mg for adults. Novo Nordisk touts Rybelsus as the first and only glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) analog in a pill and a new option for adults with Type 2 diabetes who are not achieving their A1C goal with current antidiabetic treatment.
Rybelsus is approved for once-daily use in two therapeutic doses, 7 mg and 14 mg, with Novo Nordisk recently launching the drug in the U.S.
In 2015, the company invested in a new manufacturing facility in Clayton, N.C., to prepare for the future demand for Rybelsus. Last year, Novo Nordisk also acquired a tableting & packaging facility in Durham, N.C., to further meet needs for the pill.