Novo Nordisk Announces Global Workforce Reduction of 9,000 to Sharpen Focus on Diabetes and Obesity Therapies

On September 10, Novo Nordisk announced on its official website that it would undergo a company-wide transformation to streamline its organization, accelerate decision-making, and reallocate resources toward growth opportunities in the diabetes and obesity fields. As part of the transformation, Novo Nordisk plans to cut approximately 9,000 jobs globally out of its 78,400 positions, with around 5,000 layoffs expected in Denmark.

Novo Nordisk's layoffs include staff areas and headquarters functional departments, with expected annual savings of approximately 8 billion Danish kroner by the end of 2026. The saved funds will be used for growth opportunities in diabetes and obesity, including commercial execution and R&D programs. Implementation will begin immediately, and the company expects to communicate with affected employees in the coming months, pending negotiations according to local labor market requirements under applicable laws. Additionally, other initiatives will be implemented to enhance organizational focus, performance culture, decision-making speed, and cost efficiency.

According to the announcement, Novo Nordisk will incur approximately 9 billion Danish kroner in restructuring costs in the third quarter of 2025, with savings of about 1 billion Danish kroner in the fourth quarter. As a result, Novo Nordisk expects a one-time negative impact of approximately 6 percentage points on the full-year 2025 CER operating profit growth compared to the operating profit outlook released on August 6.

It is reported that Novo Nordisk, founded in 1923 and headquartered in Copenhagen, Denmark, initially gained prominence through its insulin products. In recent years, Novo Nordisk has launched the GLP-1 drug semaglutide, which has become its blockbuster product. This product also became the global "top-selling drug" in the first half of 2025, generating revenue of $16.5 billion. Novo Nordisk's stock price also surpassed that of LVMH, making it the most valuable listed company in Europe.

On August 7, Mike Doustdar officially assumed the role of President and Chief Executive Officer of Novo Nordisk, succeeding Lars Fruergaard Jørgensen, who had worked at Novo Nordisk for over 30 years.

Regarding this round of layoffs, Mike Doustdar stated: "It is always difficult to see talented and valuable colleagues leave, but we believe this is the right move for Novo Nordisk's long-term success. We need to shift our mindset and approach to become faster and more agile. Our transformation plan aims to achieve this goal. By reallocating resources now, we will be able to prioritize investments to drive sustainable growth and future innovation for millions of chronic disease patients worldwide, particularly those with diabetes and obesity."