LONDON/COPENHAGEN, Oct 17 — Danish pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk has appointed Greg Miley, a veteran of the U.S. pharmaceutical industry, as its new Head of Corporate Affairs, marking a strategic move to strengthen its relations in Washington as President Donald Trump intensifies scrutiny over drug pricing.
Miley, who most recently served as Senior Vice President of Government Affairs at AbbVie, confirmed his new role in a LinkedIn post shared by Novo Nordisk on Friday. The announcement underscores Novo’s efforts to reinforce its public affairs strategy in the U.S., its largest and most politically sensitive market, amid mounting political pressure surrounding the cost of its blockbuster obesity and diabetes medications.
Navigating Political and Market Pressures
The hiring comes at a critical time for Novo Nordisk. President Trump has repeatedly pledged to lower prescription drug costs, calling out pharmaceutical companies by name during campaign rallies and policy briefings. On Thursday, he announced that the price of Ozempic, Novo’s widely used diabetes treatment that contains the same active ingredient as its weight-loss drug Wegovy, would soon be “going way, way down” in the U.S. market.
Trump’s remarks sent shares of both Novo Nordisk and rival Eli Lilly—which produces the competing obesity drug Zepbound—down on Friday, reflecting investor unease about potential regulatory or pricing interventions.
A source familiar with the matter told Reuters that Miley’s primary task will be to rebuild and strengthen Novo’s relationship with the Trump administration, which has signaled its intent to rein in pharmaceutical pricing through executive orders and direct negotiations with major drug manufacturers.
Restructuring and Leadership Overhaul
Novo’s newly appointed CEO, Mike Doustdar, who took the helm earlier this year, is simultaneously leading a broad restructuring effort aimed at revitalizing investor confidence and improving operational focus amid an intensifying obesity drug war against U.S. rival Eli Lilly.
The overhaul includes cutting around 9,000 jobs globally, with 5,000 positions being eliminated in Denmark and additional layoffs taking place across multiple U.S. departments. Analysts see the shake-up as part of a strategy to streamline operations and refocus on core markets where regulatory and political risks are highest.
Miley’s experience, spanning over two decades in public affairs across major U.S. pharmaceutical companies, positions him to play a pivotal role in this transformation. Before joining AbbVie, he held leadership roles at Pfizer and Abbott, where he specialized in government relations and policy advocacy. His tenure at AbbVie, where he was promoted to senior vice president two years ago, provided him with deep insight into managing federal relations under changing political administrations.
Balancing Political Dynamics
Novo Nordisk’s U.S. public affairs team is currently led by Jennifer Duck, a former Democratic Senate aide and chief of staff to the late Senator Dianne Feinstein. While Duck remains a senior figure within the company, sources suggest that Novo’s leadership sought to balance its political representation by bringing in a figure with strong ties and experience navigating Republican-led administrations.
Other global pharmaceutical companies have reportedly followed similar strategies, hiring executives with backgrounds in Republican policy networks to better engage with the Trump administration’s evolving approach to healthcare regulation.
Novo Nordisk declined to comment on whether Miley’s hiring was directly influenced by political considerations, while AbbVie and Miley did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Market Outlook
Despite the political headwinds, Novo Nordisk continues to dominate the global obesity and diabetes market, buoyed by strong demand for Wegovy and Ozempic. Analysts expect the company to focus heavily on U.S. pricing negotiations and public communication in the months ahead as the administration finalizes its pricing reform agenda.
Industry experts say the company’s strategic appointment underscores how corporate affairs and government relations have become central to pharmaceutical competitiveness in the current U.S. political climate.
“Pharma executives now need to think like diplomats,” one European drug industry analyst said. “Navigating Washington is as important as advancing drug pipelines.”
With Miley set to begin his new role in November, Novo Nordisk appears to be positioning itself for a politically charged year ahead—balancing its market leadership in obesity drugs with the complex realities of U.S. healthcare politics.
