The news: Novo Nordisk is looking to take lessons from consumer brand strategies as it doubles down on obesity drugs and related health conditions, Chairman Lars Rebien Sørensen said per Reuters. Novo also named Mars CEO Poul Weihrauch as a board observer, and plans to make him a full member, bringing CPG expertise that pharmas don’t typically have in-house.

Novo studied over-the-counter brands for insights, but Sørensen said fast-moving consumer goods are a better comparison for tracking purchasing habits and identifying unmet demand, per Reuters.

Why it matters: Novo’s shift comes as it looks to position its GLP-1 drugs as lifestyle/wellness products rather than traditional prescription drugs. Consumers using GLP-1s aren’t just managing weight, they’re also managing self-image, stigma, food choices, daily routines, and fitness plans. That makes these treatments more closely tied to lifestyle and identity than typical prescription drugs.

As the number of companies in the GLP-1 drug market is set to increase—and consumers influence physician and telehealth provider prescribing—brand loyalty will be a key differentiator to attract and retain patients.

• Novo and Eli Lilly are currently the only GLP-1 drugmakers with Wegovy and Zepbound, respectively, but Roche, Amgen, Pfizer, and others are advancing drugs toward market.
• 97% of physicians say they’ve seen an increase over the past year in patients proactively requesting prescription weight loss drugs, per a December 2025 Sermo survey.
• 26.1% of GLP-1 users got their prescription through a telehealth service in the past 12 months, per EMARKETER’s January 2026 Digital Health survey, which includes through Novo and Lilly’s own direct-to-consumer platforms and telehealth partners.

Implications for obesity drugmakers: As more obesity drug patients take the drugs long term, ask for them by brand name, and access GLP-1s via direct-to-consumer platforms, pressure on drugmakers is rising to borrow from consumer marketing playbooks.

Novo’s decision to add the Mars CEO to its board underscores its need to adopt CPG strategies like building brand loyalty and always-on engagement. Obesity treatments will increasingly be judged on the overall experience they offer—through communications, support tools, and emotional connections—rather than strictly clinical outcomes.

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