Novo Nordisk's Karsten Munk Knudsen is targeting 800 million obese people globally.

Novo Nordisk is under pressure from investors for more information about its next-generation obesity drug candidate CagriSema amid a lack of clarity over trial results that hammered its shares in December.

In fact, Novo Nordisk recently reported positive results for one of its anti-obesity candidates that puts its current best-selling drug in this area, Wegovy, to shame. Let's look deeper into these results and what they could mean for investors.

Investors are upset at a lack of clarity over the results of Wegovy successor CagriSema after trials published in December.

Novo Nordisk's CagriSema trial raised concerns as patients reported weight loss but significant side effects. Investors question trial protocols and transparency as Novo plans a new study.

Amycretin could give Novo a buzzy product in a newly competitive obesity market. It works similarly to existing GLP-1 products by mimicking a hormone in the body that provides a satiated feeling, which curbs hunger, but adds a different hormone in the pancreas.

Novo Nordisk said on Wednesday it plan to file its experimental next-generation obesity drug CagriSema for regulatory approval during the first quarter of next year, slightly later than its previous expectation to file towards end-2025.