Novo Nordisk CEO says innovation is essential as pipeline faces setbacks

During Novo Nordisk's second-quarter earnings call, CEO Maziar Mike Doustdar said that failure is a normal part of drug development and emphasized that the company's survival depends on continual innovation.

He noted that the company recently faced a major setback when its IL-6 inhibitor ziltivekimab failed the Phase 3 ZEUS trial, which did not show a significant reduction in major adverse cardiovascular events for patients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease and inflammation.

Doustdar expressed confidence in the early-stage pipeline, citing "really good early signs" of new assets, though he declined to provide details, saying the projects are still in early development.