*

Novo seeking to reignite growth after Wegovy overtaken by

rival

*

To test next-generation obesity drugs as broader

treatments

*

Areas could include knee osteoarthritis and sleep apnea

*

Results of semaglutide Alzheimer's trial expected by

year-end

(Adds details from interview in paragraphs 5-7, 10)

By Stine Jacobsen and Maggie Fick

COPENHAGEN, Sept 16 (Reuters) - Novo Nordisk,

looking to turn around slowing growth of its blockbuster

weight-loss drug Wegovy, plans to test whether its

next-generation obesity drugs can treat a broader range of

related conditions from sleep problems to knee pain.

The Danish drugmaker aims to generate evidence across both

severe and more common obesity-related conditions that affect

patients' daily lives, including knee osteoarthritis and sleep

apnea, Martin Holst Lange, Novo's head of research and

development, told Reuters in an interview during the European

Association for the Study of Diabetes conference in Vienna.

"We do know that obesity is actually related to more than

200 different co-morbidities," Lange said.

The company is battling to reignite growth and fend off

competition from U.S. rival Eli Lilly ( LLY ), with some

investors calling for Novo to expand beyond its traditional

focus on diabetes and obesity treatments to spur sales.

Lange spoke days after Novo announced it would cut 9,000

jobs following a massive ramp up in staff in recent years as the

firm shot to become Europe's most valuable company last year.

Its value has since tumbled as sales growth slowed. The

restructuring, expected to save about $1.25 billion annually,

includes ending some early-stage drug research.

Novo had an early lead in the competitive U.S. obesity

market, but has lost ground to Lilly's Zepbound that delivers

greater weight loss than Wegovy. U.S. prescriptions of Zepbound

exceed those of Wegovy, though the gap narrowed over the summer.

Novo is now building a portfolio of different forms of

semaglutide - the active ingredient in Wegovy and its diabetes

drug Ozempic - in a bid to regain lost market share.

It is considering filing for U.S. approval of a high-dose

version of its obesity shot next year, a spokesperson told

Reuters, cautioning no decision had been made.

Lange said the treatment needs of obese patients could vary

widely, driving the company to develop a range of options.

TESTING SEMAGLUTIDE FOR ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE

Novo has not disclosed which conditions it plans to study in

trials of its experimental therapies CagriSema and amycretin. It

has already secured regulatory approval for semaglutide as a

treatment to reduce the risk of major cardiovascular events such

as heart attacks in obese/diabetic patients.

The company is awaiting eagerly-anticipated results by

year-end from a trial testing semaglutide in Alzheimer's

disease, marking its push beyond obesity and diabetes treatment.

"Any significant results would be clinically relevant

because that would imply a delay in the decline of cognitive

function," said Lange. "In the space where very few treatments

are available for patients with Alzheimer's disease, that would

be meaningful."

Still, he cautioned: "We see this as high risk."

UBS analysts estimate only a 10% probability of success for

the Alzheimer's trial but said a positive outcome could add as

much as $15 billion in annual revenue.

Barclays analysts said that the results would be critical in

determining whether Alzheimer's can become a new pillar of

long-term growth for the company.

Novo reiterated on Tuesday that it would advance a molecule

called cagrilintide, which mimics the pancreatic hormone amylin,

to a final Phase 3 trial. Cagrilintide is combined with

semaglutide in Novo's weekly injection CagriSema, and

disappointing results in a late-stage trial for that

experimental drug wiped as much as $125 billion off Novo's

market value in December last year.