Novo Nordisk Parts Ways with Public Strategies Washington

Novo Nordisk Inc. ended its lobbying relationship with Public Strategies Washington Inc. effective February 1, 2026, according to a Q1 2026 LDA filing signed April 22. The pharmaceutical lobbying disclosure termination closes out a 3.5-year engagement that focused on expanding Medicare and Medicaid coverage of obesity therapeutics.

Why It Matters

A Modest Contract in a Large Portfolio

Public Strategies Washington billed Novo Nordisk $30,000 per quarter for most of the engagement, totaling $400,000 across roughly 14 quarters. By the final period, the contract had dropped to $10,000, the amount reported in the termination filing.

For the firm, losing Novo Nordisk is not a significant financial blow. Public Strategies Washington's Q1 2026 disclosures show 19 active client relationships totaling $1,110,000 in reported fees. Its largest clients, including Liberty Mutual Group Inc. at $80,000 and Anheuser-Busch Cos. LLC at $70,000, each billed more in a single quarter than Novo Nordisk paid over the final year of the engagement. The Novo Nordisk LDA filing represents one of four terminations the firm filed in the first quarter, alongside Southwest Airlines, RWE Offshore Wind Services, and SSE Airtricity.

Novo Nordisk's Broader Lobbying Footprint

The termination does not reflect any pullback in Novo Nordisk's Washington presence. The company spent more than $8 million on lobbying in the past year across more than a dozen firms and its own in-house operation. Its in-house team alone reported $1,290,000 in First Quarter 2026 lobbying expenditures.

Novo Nordisk has recently added new outside counsel. S-3 Group LLC registered as a new Novo Nordisk lobbyist in 2026, covering health issues, Medicare and Medicaid, and trade. The company also retains Nickles Group LLC, Checkmate Government Relations LLC, Ballard Partners LLC, and several other firms working across drug pricing, obesity coverage, and the Inflation Reduction Act.

Broader Context

The Policy Landscape on Obesity Drug Coverage

Public Strategies Washington's work for Novo Nordisk centered on a single issue: getting Medicare and Medicaid to cover obesity therapeutics, primarily GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy. That effort has faced persistent headwinds.

The primary legislative vehicle, the Treat and Reduce Obesity Act, has been reintroduced in nearly every Congress for over a decade. The most recent versions, H.R. 4231 and a Senate companion, remain stalled. An earlier version, the DEAL with Obesity Act of 2024, was referred to a House subcommittee in December 2024 and has not advanced.

The regulatory path proved equally difficult. The Biden administration proposed a rule that would have required Medicare Part D and Medicaid to cover anti-obesity medications. The Trump administration reversed that proposal in April 2025. The administration did announce a partial workaround: a voluntary demonstration program called the BALANCE Model, which will provide limited GLP-1 access to Medicare beneficiaries beginning July 2026, with broader Medicaid participation opening in May 2026. The program runs through December 2031 but is not a permanent statutory fix.

Congressional Scrutiny of Novo Nordisk

Novo Nordisk has faced sustained congressional attention over its drug pricing. The Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions held a hearing specifically examining Novo Nordisk's prices for Ozempic and Wegovy in September 2024, at which company CEO Lars Fruergaard Jorgensen testified. A more recent HELP Committee hearing on April 16, 2026, titled "Hearings to Examine Making Medicines More Affordable, Focusing on How Competition Can Lower Drug Prices," included discussion of insulin pricing and biosimilar competition, areas directly relevant to Novo Nordisk's product portfolio.

A March 2026 hearing before the Senate Commerce Committee also touched on insulin affordability and diabetes treatment costs.

Beyond coverage, Novo Nordisk's in-house lobbyists have been active on the Inflation Reduction Act's drug price negotiation provisions. Semaglutide, the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy, was selected for Medicare price negotiation in 2025, with a negotiated price set to take effect in 2027. The company has challenged the IRA's pricing provisions in court.

The Bottom Line

What S-3 Group Brings to the Table

The firm Novo Nordisk added to its roster, S-3 Group, brings a team with deep ties to Republican leadership. Among its registered lobbyists on the Novo Nordisk account is Michaeleen Crowell, who served as chief of staff to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. Malloy McDaniel is also on the team. The firm's lobbyists are registered to work on health issues, Medicare and Medicaid, and trade, covering several of Novo Nordisk's most active policy fronts.

What Public Strategies Washington's Team Had

The lobbyists who worked on the Novo Nordisk engagement at Public Strategies Washington had backgrounds primarily on the Democratic side of the aisle. Abbie Sorrendino had the most extensive Hill experience, serving across eight consecutive Congresses in roles including senior professional staff on the Senate Rules and Administration Committee and senior adviser to the ranking member of the House Administration Committee. A.J. Wojciak previously served as a legislative assistant to Rep. Earl Pomeroy (D-ND). Angela Smith worked in the office of Rep. Abby Finkenauer (D-IA).

With Republicans controlling both chambers and the White House, Novo Nordisk's lobbying roster now skews toward firms with stronger Republican connections, as reflected in the addition of S-3 Group and the continued retention of Nickles Group and Ballard Partners.

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