Novo Nordisk has picked a card straight out of the ‘what-could-go-wrong-in-2025’ deck, and is now contemplating workforce reductions. The Danish pharmaceutical giant behind Ozempic and Wegovy has been braving slow sales and a fiercely competitive market for some time. Amid extreme market volatility, Novo Nordisk layoffs signal a massive shift that will affect thousands globally. It is being speculated that the upcoming layoffs at Novo Nordisk will help the giant prioritize efficiency in its diabetes and obesity divisions.
The Novo Nordisk job cuts come right after the company nearly doubled its workforce from 43,260 in 2019 to 77,350 by 2023. Interestingly, the Danish giant faced the realities of decelerating growth and mounting competitive threats. The company’s outgoing CEO Lars Fruergaard Jørgensen has foreshadowed Novo Nordisk layoffs in 2026, stating bluntly, “We probably won’t be able to avoid layoffs,” in an interview with Danish broadcaster DR.
Novo Nordisk layoffs in 2025 will cut 5,000 jobs in Denmark, part of 9,000 global job cuts to address slowing sales and rising competition.(Image: Pexels)
Novo Nordisk layoffs amid slower sales growth
One primary driver behind the impending job cuts at Novo Nordisk is the slowdown in sales growth for its flagship products Wegovy and Ozempic. After explosive demand propelled these drugs to stardom, market saturation and supply constraints have humbled revenue projections. Novo Nordisk recently reduced its 2025 profit forecast for the third time this year, now guiding for 4% to 10% EBIT growth, down from an initial outlook of up to 27%. This revision also reflects broader economic uncertainties and the end of the hyper-growth phase that saw a massive sales boom during the post-pandemic period.
Jørgensen has emphasized on these changing dynamics, noting that “when you have to adjust a company this large, it’s difficult to do without affecting jobs.” The restructuring, which also comes with looming Novo Nordisk layoffs in 2025, will help the giant achieve annual savings of around 8 billion Danish kroner ($1.26 billion) by 2026.
Headwinds masked by rivals and copycats
The Danish giant has been braving intense competition that may accelerate the upcoming layoffs at Novo Nordisk. Eli Lilly’s offerings, such as Mounjaro and Zepbound, have quietly captured a significant part of the market. At the same time, cheaper copycat versions from manufacturers in China and India are flooding markets. A cocktail of these factors has undermined Novo Nordisk’s pricing power and eroded its dominance in the obesity and diabetes sectors.
New CEO Mike Doustdar, who succeeded Jørgensen in August 2025, addressed these headwinds in a recent statement. “Our markets are evolving, particularly in obesity, as it has become more competitive and consumer-driven. Our company must evolve as well.”
Doustdar, a 33-year veteran of Novo Nordisk, has called for a “performance-based culture” to deploy resources more effectively towards high-impact areas such as diabetes and obesity care.
More cost-cutting measures post job cuts at Novo Nordisk
To increase profitability, the Danish pharmaceutical giant implemented a global hiring freeze in non-critical business areas in August 2025. It’s a precursor to the broader job cuts coming this year.
The Novo Nordisk layoffs target newly hired employees and roles in sales, communications, and administration. These workforce reductions will space those in manufacturing to preserve capacity for high-demand drugs. Roughly 5,000 of the 9,000 reductions will occur in the company’s headquarters in Denmark.
The layoffs at Novo Nordisk in 2025 also follow a period of aggressive expansion, where the workforce ballooned to support Wegovy’s rollout.
A reprioritization away from underperformers
Novo Nordisk will also shift resources away from underperforming products, such as the diabetes drug Rybelsus. This move could lead to further layoffs in related sales divisions.
Doustdar has been vocal about this focus, stating that the restructuring will “simplify its organization and speed up decision-making.” It will also help redirect savings into R&D and commercial initiatives post-2025.
After years of rapid hiring, Novo Nordisk’s leadership has recognized the need to cut costs in light of global uncertainties, including currency fluctuations and regulatory hurdles. The company’s shares have fallen over 40% in 2025, reflecting investor concerns over these challenges.
As Novo Nordisk wages through these layoffs in 2025, the moves signal a pragmatic response to a maturing market. The layoffs, come at a human cost, particularly in Denmark and raise several questions about efficiency and workforce stability.
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