What's Going On With Novo Nordisk Shares Today?

Shares of Novo Nordisk Inc. NVO are trading lower Tuesday after a new study raised concerns about a potential link between GLP-1 weight loss drugs like Ozempic and an increased risk of kidney cancer.

What To Know: The drop comes after findings from the American Clinical Society of Oncology’s annual conference suggested that patients using weight loss drugs, including Ozempic, were about 33% more likely to be diagnosed with kidney cancer compared to matched individuals not using the medication, NVO are trading lower Tuesday after a new study raised concerns about a potential link between GLP-1 weight loss drugs like Ozempic and an increased risk of kidney cancer. The drop comes after findings from the American Clinical Society of Oncology's annual conference suggested that patients using weight loss drugs, including Ozempic, were about 33% more likely to be diagnosed with kidney cancer compared to matched individuals not using the medication. The data, drawn from a Florida-based database of over 86,000 patients tracked for up to a decade, showed 83 cases of kidney cancer among users of GLP-1 drugs versus 58 in the control group. While the study also indicated that these drugs were associated with lower risks for several other obesity-linked cancers—such as endometrial and ovarian cancer—researchers flagged kidney cancer as a notable outlier. The lead author, Dr. Hao Dai of Indiana University, emphasized that the findings were observational and did not confirm causation, but still called the data "concerning" and said it highlights the need for continued surveillance. The study supports previous research, including a 2023 study of 1.6 million diabetics that reported a 54% increased risk of kidney cancer among GLP-1 drug users compared to those using metformin. Potential mechanisms discussed include recurring acute kidney injuries due to side effects like vomiting and dehydration, as well as speculation about how GLP-1 receptor stimulation in kidney tissue might affect cell behavior. Novo Nordisk's stock fell over 2% in response, as investors weighed the reputational and regulatory risks tied to the high-profile weight-loss drug Ozempic, despite the study's preliminary nature and inconclusive causality.">according to the Daily Mail.

The data, drawn from a Florida-based database of over 86,000 patients tracked for up to a decade, showed 83 cases of kidney cancer among users of GLP-1 drugs versus 58 in the control group.

While the study also indicated that these drugs were associated with lower risks for several other obesity-linked cancers, such as endometrial and ovarian cancer, researchers flagged kidney cancer as a notable outlier. The lead author, Dr. Hao Dai of Indiana University, emphasized that the findings were observational and did not confirm causation but still called the data “concerning” and said it highlights the need for continued surveillance.

The study supports previous research, including a 2023 study of 1.6 million diabetics that reported a 54% increased risk of kidney cancer among GLP-1 drug users compared to those using metformin. Potential mechanisms discussed include recurring acute kidney injuries due to side effects like vomiting and dehydration, as well as speculation about how GLP-1 receptor stimulation in kidney tissue might affect cell behavior.

NVO Price Action: Novo Nordisk shares were down 2.53% at $70.99 at the time of writing, according to Benzinga pro.

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