UNITED ARAB EMIRATES — Novo Nordisk launched its weight loss pill Wegovy in the United Arab Emirates in 2026, marking the company’s first international rollout of the medication outside the U.S. market. The Emirates Drug Establishment approved the pill earlier that week for weight management and for reducing the risk of cardiovascular events in high-risk patients.
The UAE launch follows Novo Nordisk’s May 2026 announcement, made alongside its first-quarter earnings, that it would introduce the Wegovy pill in select non-U.S. markets during the second half of 2026, pending regulatory approvals. The company did not specify which countries would receive the initial international shipments.
Emil Kongshøj Larsen, executive vice president of International Operations at Novo Nordisk, said the company’s strategy for global expansion of the Wegovy pill is based on three criteria: patient demand, the preparedness of healthcare professionals, and the robustness of local healthcare and telehealth infrastructure. “The UAE has demonstrated strong momentum across all of these areas, and we look forward to bringing Wegovy pill to additional select countries in the coming months,” Larsen said.
Novo Nordisk was the first pharmaceutical company to introduce GLP-1 receptor agonists for the treatment of obesity. The company has experienced a declining share of the weight-loss drug market in recent periods. Analysts project the global weight-loss drug market could surpass $100 billion by 2030. The U.S. currently accounts for more than half of sales for both Novo Nordisk and its rival Eli Lilly.
“Novo was 'all in' on launching the Wegovy pill in overseas markets, and that it was a 'major opportunity,'” Larsen told CNBC last month.
No independent assessment of Novo Nordisk’s claims was available.