Prime Highlights
- Only 2-3% of eligible European patients receive GLP-1 obesity treatments, compared with 10% in the US.
- Pharma and life sciences deal value surpassed $65 billion in Q1 2026, the strongest quarter since 2020.
Key Facts
- HLTH Europe 2026 brought together healthcare, pharma and technology leaders to discuss innovation adoption.
- Novo Nordisk is a global healthcare company specialising in diabetes and obesity treatment.
Background
The health care executives that met in HLTH Europe 2026 conference held in Amsterdam during June discussed in depth how technology innovation in the field of health care is not matching with its implementation in reality. The experts were unanimous in their belief that while technological advancements kept coming, their application lagged.
The obesity treatment sector emerged as a clear example, with only 2-3% of eligible European patients receiving GLP-1 receptor agonist therapies, compared with 10% in the US, according to Novo Nordisk’s regional senior vice president, Vince Lamanna. Panellists linked slow uptake to persistent stigma, noting that many patients kept weight-loss treatment hidden from partners, while some governments still classified obesity as a lifestyle choice rather than a medical condition.
Consumers’ increasing use of social media and artificial intelligence in search of health-related data was another topic discussed at the conference, which makes it necessary for pharma companies to work hand in hand with other participants of the healthcare system to preserve the trust of consumers, Novo Nordisk’s director of consumer engagement, Marta Nowotarska, stated.
Deal-making was another issue raised at the conference, according to which the value of pharmaceuticals and life sciences deals in Q1 of 2026 exceeded $65 billion, which is a record high since the start of the pandemic. Representatives of the pharmaceutical industry, including MSD and Sidekick Health, explained how important it is to have a strategy, aligned cultures and due diligence to make successful mergers and acquisitions.
