The manufacturer of the weight loss jab Wegovy said it ‘is dedicated to working transparently and ethically’.
Novo Nordisk, the manufacturer of the weight-loss medication Wegovy, has been reprimanded for allegedly failing to disclose or accurately report payments to healthcare and patient organizations. The complaint, made by three individuals who were colleagues at two separate universities, alleged that Novo Nordisk failed to report, inaccurately reported, and misreported payments to healthcare and patient organizations between 2015 and 2022. An "in-depth investigation" by the Prescription Medicines Code of Practice Authority (PMCPA) found that Novo Nordisk allegedly missed 30 organizations from its disclosures and misreported 65 payments. The company was found to have breached multiple clauses under the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) code of practice in 2019 and 2021, including failing to document and publicly disclose annually certain payments made to health professionals, decision-makers, and healthcare organizations, and failing to make accurate annual disclosures within the required timeframe. The PMCPA decided not to report Novo Nordisk to the code of practice appeal board for further sanctions, noting that the company was already subject to an audit process and that the matters raised were similar to previous cases involving significant undisclosed amounts. Novo Nordisk stated that it takes the reporting of these historical transfers of value seriously and has improved its processes to ensure accurate disclosure.
