Novo Nordisk agrees up to $2.6bn licence for weekly oral obesity pill

Novo Nordisk agreed to pay up to $2.6 billion to license an experimental once-weekly oral weight-loss drug from China's Jiangsu Hengrui Pharmaceuticals, reported 29 September 2026. The deal includes $300 million upfront, per Reuters. GLP-1/GIP drugs mimic gut hormones to curb appetite. I see the risk for investors: most of the price hinges on trials and approvals yet to come.