Novo Nordisk set out its ambitions for 2030 at a Capital Markets Day in London on 21 September 2026, where it called itself Novo. They replace the Strategic Aspirations 2025, introduced in 2019. The new plan has three pillars, and every ambition belongs to one of them.
Updated 27 September 2026
Strategic ambitions for 2030
Novo is the global healthcare company that believes lasting health starts now
Grow and diversify pipeline
Bring more new medicines to market, in obesity and diabetes and in other therapy areas.
Set out in September 2026
- Launch more than five multi-blockbuster medicines by 2030.
- Have at least five Phase 3 programmes in obesity and diabetes.
- Have at least five Phase 3 programmes in other therapy areas.
- Make more than DKK 150 billion of sales from the pipeline in 2035.
Drive sustainable growth
Grow revenue, make enough medicine for many more people, and reach more patients around the world.
Set out in September 2026
- Grow revenue from 2026 to 2030 at a compound annual rate in line with industry peers.
- Build enough capacity to treat 10 times more people with obesity on oral GLP-1 medicines.
- Serve more than 60 million patients around the world by 2030.
Where it starts
- Novo Nordisk treated 46 million people living with obesity and diabetes in 2025.
- Sales grew 10% at constant exchange rates to DKK 309.1 billion in 2025.
- Obesity care sales grew 31% at constant exchange rates to DKK 82.3 billion.
Deliver attractive returns
Keep the business as profitable as it is now, and keep paying shareholders a good dividend.
Set out in September 2026
- Keep the operating margin broadly stable.
- Keep paying an attractive dividend per share.
Where it starts
- Operating profit was DKK 127.7 billion in 2025, about 41% of sales.
- The total dividend for 2025 was DKK 11.70 a share.
- Free cash flow was DKK 28.3 billion in 2025.
Every ambition belongs to a pillar.
There is no separate list of targets: the nine ambitions are split between the three pillars, so each pillar can be judged by its own numbers. We recommend this layout when each pillar has one person leading it.
Some ambitions have no figure to check.
Revenue growth in line with industry peers can only be judged once the peers have reported. A broadly stable margin and an attractive dividend have no figure at all. We recommend a figure, or a comparison with your own starting point, such as the 2025 margin of about 41%, so the company can check its own progress.
The last plan’s targets turned out very differently.
The Strategic Aspirations 2025 asked for more than DKK 25 billion of obesity care sales by 2025 and more than a third of the diabetes market by value. In 2025, obesity care sales were DKK 82.3 billion, and the diabetes value share was 30.1%. We recommend checking every target at each year’s planning, and changing any that no longer ask the right thing of the company.
Sources
- 1. Novo Nordisk A/S (2026). Highlights to be presented at Novo’s Capital Markets Day 2026. Company announcement, 21 September 2026. globenewswire.com
- 2. Novo Nordisk A/S (2026). Strategic Aspirations 2025. Annual Report 2025. annualreport.novonordisk.com
- 3. Novo Nordisk A/S (2026). Financial performance. Annual Report 2025. annualreport.novonordisk.com
Headwater is not connected with Novo Nordisk A/S. Novo Nordisk and Novo are trade marks of their owners.
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