Novo Nordisk Buys Akero to Broaden Its Metabolic Empire
Oct/09/2025
Novo Nordisk has agreed to acquire Akero Therapeutics in a deal worth up to $5.2 billion, strengthening its dominance in metabolic and obesity-related diseases. The Danish drugmaker will pay $54 per share in cash—around $4.7 billion upfront—plus an additional $500 million contingent on U.S. approval of Akero’s experimental MASH therapy, efruxifermin, by 2031. The purchase marks Novo’s push into liver disease linked to obesity, complementing its blockbuster diabetes and weight-loss drugs Ozempic and Wegovy, both powered by semaglutide. While Akero’s shares soared nearly 20% on the news, Novo’s slipped slightly as investors digested another bold expansion from the world’s leading diabetes treatment maker. The move underscores the company’s century-long focus on metabolic disorders and its intent to extend that expertise into adjacent, fast-growing therapeutic areas. Following the acquisition, the tag cloud below presents a list of trademarks filed by Novo Nordisk worldwide since January 1, 2025, through October 9, detailing associated classes and trademark offices.
