Eli Lilly's Zepbound Projected to Reach $4.1 Billion in U.S. Sales by 2031

Recently, a recent report by data analytics firm GlobalData showed that by 2031, the sales of Eli Lilly's recently approved weight-loss drug Zepbound in the United States are expected to reach $4.1 billion, which is approximately half of what Wegovy is projected to achieve at that time.

On November 8, the FDA approved Eli Lilly's tirzepatide for weight loss indications (brand name: Zepbound), making it another weight loss drug approved after Novo Nordisk's Wegovy. This also means that Eli Lilly will directly compete with Novo Nordisk in the weight loss field.

Dr. John Sharretts, director of the Division of Diabetes, Lipid Disorders, and Obesity in the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, stated: "Obesity and being overweight are serious conditions that may be associated with some leading causes of death, such as heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. Given the continuously rising rates of obesity and overweight in the United States, the approval of Zepbound addresses an unmet medical need."

Zepbound is the world's first dual-target agonist drug, which works by activating two naturally occurring hormones in the body, including glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP).

A statement released by Eli Lilly shows that Zepbound will be launched in the United States by the end of this year, with a monthly supply priced at approximately $1,060, which is about 20% lower than the price of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy.

Tirzepatide has been FDA-approved for the treatment of type 2 diabetes since May 2022, under the brand name Mounjaro. Clinical trial data on weight loss shows that tirzepatide can help obese or overweight patients with type 2 diabetes lose nearly 16% of their body weight, averaging over 15 kilograms, which is even better than Novo Nordisk's Wegovy.

Boosted by weight-loss drugs, Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk have now become the two pharmaceutical companies with the highest market value globally. Novo Nordisk's market value has surpassed Pfizer, reaching $455 billion, surpassing the LVMH Group to become the highest-valued company in Europe. On November 9, before the market opened, Eli Lilly’s stock price surged over 3%. Since the beginning of this year, Eli Lilly’s stock price has risen nearly 70%, with its market value approaching $600 billion.

In March this year, the latest edition of the "World Obesity Atlas 2023" published by the World Obesity Federation predicted that by 2035, more than 4 billion people worldwide will be obese or overweight, accounting for 51% of the global population. The predicted adult obesity rate in the United States will reach 58% by 2035, with an annual growth rate of 2.1% from 2020 to 2035; China's adult obesity rate is predicted to reach 18% by 2035, with an annual growth rate of 5.4% from 2020 to 2035. By 2035, expenses related to the management of overweight/obesity are expected to reach 3.1% of GDP.

Reference Source:

1.https://www.zhitongcaijing.com/content/detail/1023269.html

2.https://news.sina.cn/2023-11-09/detail-imztzksk7562747.d.html