Diary of a CEO

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Nov 16, 2024

Dave Ahern, co-host of the Investing for Beginners podcast, shares his insights on Novo Nordisk and the dramatic rise in their stock due to Ozempic and Wegovy. He discusses the contrasting leadership styles of the past and present CEOs, particularly regarding their approach to weight loss drugs. The conversation also highlights the complexities of clinical trials and the ethical dilemmas in pharmaceutical decision-making. Ahern sheds light on how CEO compensation often ties into company performance, further complicating the landscape of healthcare innovation.

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ANECDOTE

Lars Sorensen's Focus

Lars Sorensen, the former CEO of Novo Nordisk, was known for his passion for curing diabetes and his skepticism towards weight-loss drugs.
He prioritized a "radical restructuring of society" to address obesity, viewing it as a socio-cultural issue rather than a medical one.

ANECDOTE

Lars Jorgensen's Gamble

Lars Jorgensen, Sorensen's successor, prioritized obesity as a disease and championed weight-loss drugs.
One of Jorgensen's first decisions as CEO was to initiate clinical trials for Wegovy, a weight-loss drug, despite the financial risk.

INSIGHT

The Two-Year Gap

There's a two-year gap between Ozempic's clinical trial completion and Wegovy's initiation, coinciding with the CEO change.
This timing raises questions about Sorensen's hesitation towards weight-loss drugs and Jorgensen's motivation for pursuing them.

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Diary of a CEO

This week I look at the previous and present CEO's of Novo Nordisk and examine their different passion projects and attitudes towards weight loss drugs. I ask the question why didn't the previous CEO push the button on the Wegovy clinical trials after many of the Ozempic clinical trials had been completed? What made him hesitate... and more importantly why did the new CEO make initiating those trials one of his first big decisions?

I look at how CEO's are paid worldwide and how Company Shares can be a larger source of income than their multi million dollar salaries. I look at the conflict of interest that often comes with awarding incentives and bonuses.

I chat with Dave Ahern from Investing for Beginners Podcast about Novo Nordisk and the meteoric rise of their share price and how Ozempic and Wegovy have driven that.

Documents Links that are mentioned in the Podcast:

Ozempic Dosage Trial

The SUSTAIN 4 Clinical Trial

2016 Novo Nordisk Annual Report

2023 Renumeration Report of Novo Nordisk

Time Article on Lars Jorgensen

Financial Times Article on Lars Jorgensen

Harvard Business Review CEO of the year article on Lars Sorensen

Contact

investigatingozempic@gmail.com

Special Note

In this Podcast I am ONLY looking at the WEIGHT LOSS EFFECTS of these GLP1 drugs and am not looking at the Diabetic effects. This podcast should not be construed as giving any type of medical advice. I am not a qualified health care professional.

Legal and Medical Disclaimer:

The Investigating Ozempic podcast is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute the practice of medicine, nursing or other professional health care services, including the giving of medical advice, and no doctor/patient relationship is formed. The use of information on this podcast or materials linked from this podcast is at the user’s own risk. The content of this podcast is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Users should not disregard or delay in obtaining medical advice for any medical condition they may have and should seek the assistance of their health care professionals for any such conditions.

Every care has been taken to obtain accurate information including reaching out to Novo Nordisk for comment - which so far has remained unanswered. We encourage Novo Nordisk to contact me and correct any discrepancies that have been made accidentally and in good faith by the author. This podcast contains my personal opinion which is solely my own and not intended to be construed in any other manner.

Copyright

All rights reserved by Bernadette Fisers. Material in the podcast and any content therein is subject to copyright under Australian law and through international treaties, and applicable law in other countries.

Unless otherwise indicated, we (and/or our third-party licensors) own the copyright and other intellectual property rights in the recording, text, graphics, information, designs, data and other content in this document.