Eli Lilly Stock Falls. Novo Extends Lead in Weight-Loss Drug Race – Yahoo Finance
This article first appeared on GuruFocus.
Eli Lilly (NYSE:LLY) shares fell about 4% on Friday after data indicated its obesity drug prescriptions were trailing those of rival Novo Nordisk.
Eli Lilly’s weekly prescriptions for Zepbound declined roughly 2% in the latest reported week ended April 17. In comparison, Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy injections recorded a 7% increase over the same period, suggesting differing demand momentum across leading obesity treatments.
The update also highlighted Eli Lilly’s recently introduced oral therapy, which generated 3,707 prescriptions in its first full week of availability, based on IQVIA tracking data. The launch marks the company’s entry into the emerging oral obesity drug segment.
By contrast, Novo Nordisk’s oral version of Wegovy logged about 18,410 prescriptions during its debut week earlier this year. Analysts noted that early prescription data can fluctuate, though the initial gap may influence investor expectations as Eli Lilly works to expand its position in the competitive weight-loss drug market.
