Novo Nordisk wins Dutch court injunction protecting patients from unapproved, unlawful compounded semaglutide nasal spray
Rhea-AI Summary
Novo Nordisk (NYSE:NVO) obtained a preliminary injunction from the District Court of The Hague against Ceban Ziekenhuisfarmacie B.V. in a patent case over a compounded semaglutide nasal spray. The court found that Ceban infringed Novo Nordisk's supplementary protection certificate for semaglutide and ordered it to stop selling the nasal spray, remove product references, disclose commercial supply-chain information, and reimburse Novo Nordisk's legal costs.
According to Novo Nordisk, no nasal spray formulation of semaglutide is approved by any regulatory authority, and the company does not manufacture or endorse compounded semaglutide. Approved semaglutide medicines from Novo Nordisk include Wegovy, Ozempic and Rybelsus.
Positive
- Dutch preliminary injunction upholds semaglutide supplementary protection certificate
- Ceban ordered to cease sales of compounded semaglutide nasal spray
- Court orders Ceban to reimburse legal costs to Novo Nordisk
Negative
- None.
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- Novo Nordisk won a preliminary injunction against Ceban Ziekenhuisfarmacie B.V. from the District Court of The Hague in a patent infringement case involving a compounded semaglutide nasal spray
- The Court found that Ceban infringed Novo Nordisk's supplementary protection certificate (SPC) covering semaglutide and ordered Ceban to cease the infringing activities, remove product listings, disclose supply chain information, and reimburse Novo Nordisk's legal costs
- Novo Nordisk's approved semaglutide medicines are Wegovy®, Ozempic® and Rybelsus®. No nasal spray formulation of semaglutide is approved by any regulatory authority
Bagsværd, Denmark, 5 August 2026 — The District Court of The Hague has granted Novo Nordisk a preliminary injunction against Ceban Ziekenhuisfarmacie B.V., ordering the company to immediately stop selling a compounded semaglutide nasal spray that infringes Novo Nordisk's intellectual property. The ruling protects patients from unapproved formulations of semaglutide and reinforces the regulatory framework that ensures medicines meet established standards for quality, safety and efficacy.
The court found that Ceban infringed Novo Nordisk's supplementary protection certificate covering semaglutide. In addition to ordering Ceban to cease the infringing activities, the ruling requires the company to remove references to the product from relevant listings and websites, provide information regarding its commercial supply chain, and reimburse Novo Nordisk's legal costs.
"Protecting patients means protecting the integrity of the medicines they rely on,” said John F. Kuckelman, Group General Counsel, Novo Nordisk. "This decision sends a clear message that intellectual property rights protecting pharmaceutical innovation will be enforced. We will continue to take decisive legal action against those who unlawfully exploit our innovations or market unapproved semaglutide products in ways that jeopardise patient safety and undermine the regulatory framework that protects patients."
Protecting patients from unapproved semaglutide products
Compounded medicines are pharmacy-prepared formulations that are not reviewed or approved by regulatory authorities such as the European Medicines Agency (EMA) or the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). They have not undergone the clinical trials required to demonstrate safety, efficacy, quality, or consistent manufacturing standards. Novo Nordisk does not manufacture, distribute, or endorse any compounded version of semaglutide, and no nasal spray formulation of semaglutide has been approved by any regulatory authority.
Novo Nordisk invests heavily in research and development to discover and deliver innovative treatments for people living with serious chronic diseases. Intellectual property protections play a critical role in enabling those investments and fostering continued medical innovation. The company remains committed to protecting its intellectual property rights where appropriate and to supporting regulatory frameworks that help ensure patients receive medicines that meet established standards for quality, safety and efficacy.
The judgment represents an important step in protecting Novo Nordisk's intellectual property rights related to semaglutide. It reinforces the company's commitment to safeguarding the innovation that supports future scientific advances and patient care.
For the latest information on Novo Nordisk's approved semaglutide medicines and patient safety guidance regarding unapproved compounded products, visit novonordisk.com.
About semaglutide
Semaglutide is a GLP-1 receptor agonist discovered and developed by Novo Nordisk. It is the active ingredient in four approved medicines:
- Wegovy® (semaglutide injection 2.4 mg and 7.2 mg), approved for chronic weight management in adults with obesity or overweight with one or more weight-related comorbidities, as indicated in approved labelling
- Wegovy® (oral semaglutide), approved in certain markets for chronic weight management in adults with obesity or overweight with one or more weight-related comorbidities, as indicated in approved labelling
- Ozempic® (semaglutide injection 1.0 mg), approved for the treatment of adults with type 2 diabetes and, in certain markets, to reduce the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events in adults with type 2 diabetes, as indicated in approved labelling
- Rybelsus® (oral semaglutide 14 mg), approved for the treatment of adults with type 2 diabetes, as indicated in approved labelling
No nasal spray formulation of semaglutide has been approved by any regulatory authority. Patients seeking treatment with semaglutide should consult a licensed healthcare professional and only use medicines approved by their national regulatory authority.
About Novo Nordisk
Novo Nordisk is a leading global healthcare company founded in 1923 and headquartered in Denmark. Our purpose is to drive change to defeat serious chronic diseases built upon our heritage in diabetes. We do so by pioneering scientific breakthroughs, expanding access to our medicines, and working to prevent and ultimately cure disease. Novo Nordisk employs about 66,700 people in 80 countries and markets its products in around 170 countries. For more information, visit novonordisk.com, Facebook, Instagram, X, LinkedIn and YouTube.
Contacts for further information
| Novo Nordisk Media: | |
| Ambre James-Brown +45 3079 9289 globalmedia@novonordisk.com | Liz Skrbkova (US) +1 609 917 0632 USMediaRelations@novonordisk.com |
| Novo Nordisk Investors: | |
| Michael Novod +45 3075 6050 nvno@novonordisk.com | Sina Meyer +45 3079 6656 azey@novonordisk.com |
| Alex Bruce +45 3444 2613 axeu@novonordisk.com | Christoffer Togo Solgaard-Tullin +45 3079 1471 cftu@novonordisk.com |
| Ida Schaap Melvold +45 3077 5649 idmg@novonordisk.com | Mads Berner Bruun +45 3075 2936 mbbz@novonordisk.com |
| Frederik Taylor Pitter (US) +1 609 613 0568 fptr@novonordisk.com |
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