European pharma stocks staged a sharp split after Bayer reported positive Phase III results for its stroke-prevention drug Asundexian, while Novo Nordisk disclosed that its oral semaglutide failed to slow Alzheimer’s progression in two-year trials. In the OCEANIC-STROKE study, Asundexian, taken daily with standard antiplatelet therapy, reduced recurrent ischemic strokes in 12,300 patients without increasing major bleeding, sending Bayer shares up more than 10%. Novo Nordisk’s announcement capped a roller-coaster several weeks for GLP-1 drugs.
Although semaglutide improved Alzheimer’s biomarkers in the trials, the benefit did not translate into slower disease progression, and the company halted the planned one-year extension. Novo emphasized that approved uses for diabetes and obesity remain unaffected and that the broader GLP-1 evidence base remains robust for those conditions. Investors watched closely as Novo Nordisk’s stock fell about 10%, erasing some of the gains tied to its obesity and diabetes franchises. Martin Holst Lange, Novo’s chief scientific officer, said the results do not undermine the drug’s value in type 2 diabetes and obesity, even as Alzheimer’s hopes dim.
