An investigation led by researchers from the University of Bath, UK and Lund University, Sweden has uncovered serious breaches of the pharmaceutical industry’s Code of Practice by Novo Nordisk, the company behind blockbuster weight-loss drugs Wegovy, Ozempic, and Saxenda.
The Prescription Medicines Code of Practice Authority (PMCPA) found Novo Nordisk guilty of multiple compliance failures, including breaching the ABPI Code of Practice’s most severe Clause 2, which signifies serious censure for bringing discredit to the industry and reducing public confidence.
Key Findings
The PMCPA ruling followed a meticulous investigation, and joint complaint, submitted to the watchdog, by lead complainant Dr Emily Rickard and Dr Piotr Ozieranski from the Dept of Social and Policy Sciences at the University of Bath and Dr Shai Mulinari from the Department of Sociology at Lund University.
£1,244,027 in undisclosed payments to healthcare and patient organisations, with £635,000 of these not identified in Novo Nordisk’s own internal review.
Payments misattributed to incorrect organisations, including £338,435 attributed to the Association for British HealthTech Industries instead of the World Obesity Federation.
Novo Nordisk is still unsure about the total extent of unreporting, admitting that the figures submitted in their voluntary admission were “a best estimate”.
Failures to disclose payments during the launch of lucrative weight-loss drugs in the UK, raising concerns about the company’s accountability.
The findings add to Novo Nordisk’s voluntary admission - published in 2024 - of failing to disclose £7.8 million in payments between 2020 and 2022, a breach that took place following its suspension from the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) in 2023 for sponsoring weight management training promoting its weight-loss drug Saxenda.
Lead author Dr Emily Rickard said:
It’s deeply concerning that so many errors from the past three years weren’t picked up in Novo Nordisk’s own review. This happened while the company was under audit—a time when compliance should have been a top priority. The failure to disclose payments is especially troubling, given it coincided with the UK launch of blockbuster weight-loss drugs like Wegovy. It raises serious questions about transparency and accountability.”
Dr Piotr Ozieranski said:
When a company as large as Novo Nordisk doesn’t disclose payments, it’s not just damaging to their reputation—it undermines trust in the entire healthcare system. Transparency in the UK’s pharmaceutical industry is transparency in name only. A total overhaul is urgently needed.”
The Research Behind the Complaint
The research team dedicated over 100 hours analysing hundreds of documents, websites, and reports, uncovering extensive evidence of unreported payments.
Dr Emily Rickard explained:
This process was labour-intensive and shouldn’t fall on the shoulders of researchers or the public. Transparency systems exist to hold companies accountable, but our findings show they’re failing. Companies must do better, and systemic reform is urgently needed.
Call for Transparency Reform
The researchers are calling for comprehensive reforms to ensure genuine transparency in the pharmaceutical industry, including:
Full disclosure of all payments made by pharmaceutical companies.
A government-run, centralised database for payment reporting, accessible to patients, regulators, and policymakers.
Rigorous enforcement with meaningful penalties for non-compliance.
Dr Shai Mulinari from the Department of Sociology at Lund University said:
As Novo Nordisk continues to market high-profile weight-loss drugs in the UK, we urge regulators to take decisive action to rebuild public trust in the system.