Novo Nordisk defended its next-generation obesity drug candidate CagriSema on Wednesday following late-stage trial data published in December that disappointed investors and wiped $125 billion from its market value.

The drugmaker expects the regulator to remove Wegovy and Ozempic from its shortage list, blocking other companies from legally selling cheap knockoff versions.

The Danish maker of Ozempic and Wegovy reported a 25 percent increase in sales to $40.6 billion, but said it expected slower growth this year.

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.

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

Novo Nordisk on Wednesday said its new trial of its next-generation obesity drug candidate CagriSema will look at dose escalation and trial length to further show the drug's potential, after data in December disappointed the market.