Novo Nordisk hit by cyberattack that breached clinical trial patient data

Novo Nordisk ↘0.76% disclosed Thursday that unauthorized access to internal IT systems led to the external copying of clinical trial patient data.investegate
Breached data may include patient IDs, year of birth, sex, and health information, but the company says it is not linked to names or direct identifiers.channelnewsasia
Core business operations remain unaffected, though some internal systems were taken offline as the company works with cybersecurity experts and authorities.investegate

Novo Nordisk Hit by Cyberattack, Clinical Trial Patient Data Breached

Novo Nordisk confirmed on Thursday that it suffered a cyberattack in which hackers gained unauthorized access to internal IT systems and copied non-public data externally, including personal information from patients enrolled in some of the company’s clinical trials.

What Happened

The Danish pharmaceutical giant, maker of the blockbuster weight-loss drug Wegovy, disclosed the breach in a statement issued from its headquarters in Bagsværd, Denmark on June 11, 2026. The company said it launched an investigation with external cybersecurity experts and has contacted relevant authorities.yahoo

“The incident affected a limited amount of information related to patients participating in some of our clinical trials,” Novo Nordisk said in its statement, without specifying which trials were involved.channelnewsasia

The potential categories of personal data affected may include patient ID, year of birth, sex, and health or immunogenicity data, the company added. However, Novo Nordisk said the information is not directly linked to any patients by name or other direct identifiers, and it does not believe the incident would enable any third party to identify clinical trial participants. Knowledge of patient identity would require access to further information that was not part of the breach, the company said.channelnewsasia

Response and Business Impact

As part of its response, the company temporarily took certain internal IT systems offline to protect its environment. Novo Nordisk said it is working to bring affected systems back online “in a controlled and safe manner” but acknowledged the process would take time.investegate

The drugmaker emphasized that its core business operations remain unaffected and fully operational. It did not provide further details when contacted by Reuters.channelnewsasia

Broader Context

The incident comes at a challenging period for Novo Nordisk, which has seen its market capitalization decline sharply over the past two years amid intensifying competition from Eli Lilly in the weight-loss drug market. On the same day as the cybersecurity disclosure, Britain’s medicines regulator approved Novo Nordisk’s weight-loss pill, giving patients a new needle-free option.reuters

The company advised that affected patients report any unusual occurrences they believe could be linked to the incident.channelnewsasia