Pharmaceutical Executive Daily: September 11, 2025

Welcome to Pharmaceutical Executive Daily, your quick briefing on the top news shaping the pharmaceutical and life sciences industry.

In today’s Pharmaceutical Executive Daily, we cover Lundbeck’s restructuring affecting more than 600 international employees, Novo Nordisk’s global plan to cut 9,000 jobs, and former President Trump’s push to rein in pharmaceutical direct-to-consumer advertising.

Lundbeck has announced a significant restructuring that will impact more than 600 employees across its international operations. The changes are part of a broader strategy to streamline the company’s footprint and refocus resources on priority therapeutic areas. Management emphasized that the move aims to improve long-term competitiveness, but it comes at a time when the industry is already grappling with multiple waves of workforce reductions. The decision reflects a growing trend of biopharma companies rebalancing their global operations to adapt to financial pressures and shifting market demands.

Meanwhile, Novo Nordisk has unveiled an even larger restructuring plan, with 9,000 jobs set to be cut worldwide. The company said the effort is designed to support its rapid expansion in obesity and diabetes, particularly as demand for GLP-1 therapies continues to climb. Novo explained that while headcount reductions are substantial, the company will reinvest heavily in manufacturing, R&D, and supply chain capabilities to keep pace with unprecedented global demand. Analysts note that this restructuring underscores the challenges of scaling operations while managing costs in an increasingly competitive therapeutic landscape.

And in U.S. policy news, former President Donald Trump has renewed his criticism of pharmaceutical advertising, targeting direct-to-consumer campaigns. He argued that DTC ads drive up drug costs and mislead consumers, calling for stricter limits on how companies market treatments directly to patients. While the pharmaceutical industry defends the practice as a way to inform and empower consumers, Trump’s comments are expected to reignite debate in Washington around drug pricing, marketing transparency, and patient education.

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