Novo Nordisk’s head count has grown 81% in five years, as the Danish pharma became a powerhouse in obesity care. Over the same period, Novo’s revenue has risen 126%, reaching a peak of $13.5 billion in the fourth quarter of 2024. That trend reversed at the beginning of this year, with revenue landing at $12.1 billion in the second quarter. On Wednesday, new CEO Maziar Mike Doustdar announced a 9,000-person headcount reduction as part of a larger structural reorganization. The cuts will take Novo’s full-time headcount from more than 78,000 to just over 69,000.