From Wall Street Journal:

Eli Lilly’s weight-loss drug Zepbound surpassed Novo Nordisk’s rival drug Wegovy in new prescriptions in the U.S., hitting 77,590 for the week ending March 8, according to IQVIA data. Novo still leads in total weekly prescriptions by 25,307. Both Lilly and Novo stocks dropped slightly on this news.

GLP-1 agonist drugs like Zepbound and Wegovy, originally developed for type 2 diabetes, are now in high demand for weight loss, with the market expected to reach $100 billion by the end of the decade. These drugs have shown the potential to reduce weight by up to 20%.

GlobalData projects GLP-1 drugs to outsell cancer immunotherapies this year, with potential new applications beyond diabetes. Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy just received FDA approval for reducing stroke and heart attack risks in overweight or obese adults without diabetes.

Novo Nordisk is predicted to capture more than half of the projected $105 billion market by 2029 with its GLP-1 drug portfolio. The company is working on a pill version of its weight-loss drug amycretin in hopes of expanding its market share. Lilly’s Mounjaro is forecasted to be the top-selling GLP-1 drug by 2029 with $33.4 billion in annual sales.

Lilly has partnered with Amazon’s pharmacy unit to deliver prescriptions, including for Zepbound, through their direct-to-consumer service LillyDirect. The company has seen positive prescription fill numbers through this service.



Read more at Wall Street Journal: Lilly weight-loss drug Zepbound new US prescriptions surpass Wegovy for first time