The drugmaker expects the regulator to remove Wegovy and Ozempic from its shortage list, blocking other companies from legally selling cheap knockoff versions.

Novo Nordisk defended its next-generation obesity drug candidate CagriSema on Wednesday following late-stage trial data published in December that disappointed investors and wiped $125 billion from its market value.

The Danish maker of Ozempic and Wegovy reported a 25 percent increase in sales to $40.6 billion, but said it expected slower growth this year.