Novo Nordisk (Ozempic)

Last year Novo Nordisk, the Danish pharmaceutical company behind
Ozempic and Wegovy, overtook LVMH to become Europe’s most
valuable company. And the pull for Acquired to finally tackle
healthcare (18% of US GDP!) became too strong for us to resist.
While we didn’t know much about Novo Nordisk before diving in,
our first thought was, “wow, seems like these new diabetes and
obesity drugs mean serious trouble for big insulin companies.”


And then… we realized that Novo Nordisk IS the big insulin
company. And in a story befitting of Steve Jobs and Apple, they’d
just disrupted themselves with the drug equivalent of an iPhone
moment. Once we dug further, we quickly realized this company has
it all: an incredible 100+ year history filled with Nobel Prizes,
bitter personal rivalries, board room dramas, a
generation-defining silicon valley innovation, lone voices
persevering against all odds — and oh yeah, the world’s largest
charitable foundation at its helm. Tune in for one incredible
story!


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Links:


Chart: US Healthcare Spend by Category

Chart: US Distribution and Reimbursement System (for
pharmaceutical drugs)

Chart: Insulin Supply Chain

YouTube Talk: What People Get Wrong about the Finances of the
Drug Industry

Alex Telford: The pharma industry from Paul Janssen to today:
why drugs got harder to develop and what we can do about it

Out-of-Pocket Health: Obesity Drugs

Out-of-Pocket Health: US Healthcare System Problems

All episode sources



Carve Outs:


Noxgear Tracer 2 running vest

Drops of God

Wool by Hugh Howey

Mere Mortals at San Francisco Ballet

Blackberry



‍Note: Acquired hosts and guests may hold assets discussed in
this episode. This podcast is not investment advice, and is
intended for informational and entertainment purposes only. You
should do your own research and make your own independent
decisions when considering any financial transactions.