Eli Lilly Q1 profit doubles as weight‑loss sales surge
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- Eli Lilly reported first‑quarter profit more than doubled and lifted its 2026 guidance.
- Mounjaro sales more than doubled to $8.7bn in Q1, driven by its dual diabetes and weight‑management use.
- Zepbound revenue rose 80% to $4.2bn after a price‑cut deal with the Trump administration aimed at Medicare.
- Foundayo was taken by 20,000 patients within weeks of its April 9 launch, and analysts project >$1bn sales this year.
- Novo Nordisk’s oral anti‑obesity pill, launched in January, already has over 600,000 prescriptions, intensifying competition.
- Eli Lilly’s shares jumped 10% after the earnings beat but remain 12% below their start‑of‑year level after the $1tn market‑cap milestone.
Why it matters: The profit surge lifts earnings expectations and validates the market‑expanding potential of GLP‑1 weight‑loss drugs, benefitting investors and patients while intensifying competition with Novo Nordisk, prompting Medicare cost‑saving measures, and underscoring the strategic importance of new oral formulations for the obesity market.
