Novo Nordisk Drops Gender Diversity Requirements in U.S.

Novo Nordisk, a leading obesity drugmaker, announced on Wednesday that it will cease enforcing gender representation requirements within its U.S. business. This decision comes as a response to executive orders issued by President Donald Trump aimed at halting diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.

While the company upholds a global goal of achieving at least 45% representation for each gender by 2025, it acknowledged that the U.S. operations would not participate to avoid legal repercussions. This shift marks a departure from Novo Nordisk's earlier affirmation to maintain a diverse workforce, aligning them with other European pharmaceutical giants.

Earlier actions by Swiss drugmaker Roche and Novartis to abandon diversity targets mirror Novo Nordisk's latest move. Similarly, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) announced in February it would no longer set diversity benchmarks, highlighting a trend among major European companies to adapt to evolving legal landscapes in the U.S.

(With inputs from agencies.)