Novo Nordisk wants to own the obesity space much in the same way that it has attempted to dominate diabetes. To that end, the company launched its first obesity drug — Saxenda, a high-dose version of Novo’s diabetes blockbuster Victoza — in the U.S. during 2015. While the Saxenda launch was successful, Victoza came under competitive fire from Eli Lilly’s Trulicity, which requires only a weekly injection. While the FDA accepted a resubmitted application for type 1 and type 2 diabetes treatment Tresiba (which was rejected in 2013 due to cardiovascular safety concerns), the company discontinued the drug in Germany following failed price negotiations with price-setting organization GKV-Spitzenverband. To accommodate its ambitious growth goals, Novo invested $1.8 billion in building a new manufacturing facility in Clayton, North Carolina, which will develop active ingredients for oral semaglutide as well as current and future Novo diabetes products. It also partnered with IBM Watson Health to advance diabetes care through insights from real-time evidence.