STORY: Novo Nordisk shares rose over 5% on Friday to highs last seen in October.
Investors bought in on what analysts called 'encouraging' early U.S. data for its Wegovy pill.
The weight-loss giant hopes the pill will help it regain ground in the obesity drug race.
It was made available to U.S. patients from January 5 after gaining approval from regulators last month.
The market is closely watching early sales for signs of strength or weakness.
And investors want to see how Novo uses its first-to-market lead against rival Eli Lilly.
It's positive news for Novo CEO Mike Doustdar, who took over last year.
He wants to attract new consumers with the pill.
Novo aims to recover from a challenging last year of profit warnings and sliding shares.
Investors sold off in 2025 when sales growth of Novo's injectable medication slowed.
