Novo Nordisk & Vivani Medical's Weight Management Strategy

According to the NHS, living with obesity can lower life expectancy by up to 10 years, whilst also causing daily issues such as fatigue, pain, mental health issues and increasing health condition risks.

The British Nutrition Foundation states that weight management relies on energy intake, energy use, daily activities and medication and sometimes medication.

For people struggling with weight loss/management and diabetes, semaglutide’s (like GLP-1’s) can regulate insulin, reduce appetite and manage blood sugars.

Novo Nordisk and Vivani Medical have entered into agreement to allow for Novo Nordisk to evaluate the company’s semaglutide drug implant, NPM-139.

Chronic weight management

The NPM-139 utilises Vivani’s NanoPortal platform technology to aid in the development of chronic weight management.

Vivani is expecting to initiate a Phase 1, randomised and first-in-human study to evaluate the NPM-139 implant with wegovy injections. 

The study’s objectives are to characterise the pharmacokinetics, tolerability and safety of NPM-139.

Once completed and safe, Phase 2 can start with dose-ranging studies.

“The new agreement announced today supporting our semaglutide implant program in chronic weight management demonstrates Novo Nordisk's interest in evaluating our technology and its lead semaglutide application,” says Adam Mendelsohn, CEO and President of Vivani Medical.

“This agreement reinforces our confidence regarding the market opportunity for our GLP-1 implants under development. 

“We believe that our NanoPortal implants under development, including NPM-139, could address a growing segment of patients who would prefer a convenient once- or twice-yearly treatment option and the peace of mind that treatment could be stopped at any time if that became necessary.”

What is Vivani’s NanoPortal?

NanoPortal is a proprietary implant platform designed to provide a near-constant, controlled release of medication over extended periods, helping patients receive a consistent dose while reducing the fluctuations associated with traditional drug delivery methods. 

Its innovative nanopore technology can be precisely tailored to the size of specific drug molecules, achieving the "Goldilocks Effect", where pores are just large enough to enable steady, long-term drug release. 

Unlike many extended-release implants, NanoPortal can deliver not only small-molecule drugs but also larger hydrophilic molecules, including peptides and proteins, expanding its potential across a wide range of therapeutic applications. 

The device features a simple, miniature and space-efficient design with no pumps or electronics, allowing for easy subdermal insertion and removal while maximising drug capacity. 

Its flexible architecture can also accommodate different drug formulations and dosing durations, enabling customised treatment profiles for diverse diseases and patient needs.

The science behind GLP-1’s

Novo Nordisk has transformed the treatment of type 2 diabetes through the development of oral semaglutide, the active ingredient in Rybelsus, the world's first and currently only oral GLP-1 receptor agonist. 

Traditionally, biologic medicines such as GLP-1 therapies required injection because the digestive system breaks down protein-based drugs before they can be absorbed. 

“Wegovy offers adults with obesity significant weight loss, along with diet and exercise and is FDA-approved to lower the risk of major cardiovascular events such as death, heart attack, or stroke in adults with obesity with known heart disease – making Wegovy pill truly distinct,” says Jamey Millar, Executive Vice President, US Operations of Novo Nordisk.

“With Wegovy pill and Wegovy HD available for weight management, patients and their healthcare providers are making choices that fit their needs, resulting in the clear adoption for both treatments.” 

“Novo Nordisk remains determined to continue playing a major part in addressing the global public health challenge of obesity by deeply understanding the needs of those who live with it. 

“That is why we are at ADA 2026 - to talk to patients, healthcare professionals and investors to present our data but also listen and learn.”

According to Novo Nordisk, scientists have been attempting to solve the injectables into pills challenge since the early 1920’s.

After decades of research, Novo Nordisk overcame this century-old scientific challenge by engineering a more stable form of semaglutide and combining it with the absorption enhancer SNAC, which temporarily protects the drug from the stomach's harsh environment and enables absorption into the bloodstream. 

Launched in 2019, Rybelsus provides an effective oral treatment option for adults with type 2 diabetes, while Ozempic, an injectable formulation of semaglutide, offers an alternative for glycaemic control when used alongside diet and exercise. 

Building on this breakthrough, oral semaglutide was also approved in the US in 2025 as the first oral GLP-1 therapy for weight management, demonstrating the platform's potential to expand access to biologic medicines and reshape the future of chronic disease treatment.