Eli Lilly's injectable Zepbound outperformed Novo Nordisk's Wegovy in a head-to-head trial, producing an average 20.2% body-weight loss versus 13.7% over 72 weeks. Zepbound and the diabetes drug Mounjaro together generated $5.69 billion in sales in the first half of 2025. The industry continues to target an oral GLP-1 pill to replace injectables due to simpler manufacturing, no cold storage, and broader accessibility. Major competitors racing to develop oral GLP-1 drugs include Eli Lilly, Novo Nordisk, and Viking Therapeutics, with Viking advancing VK2735 in Phase II. Lilly faced a setback related to orforglipron's Phase 3 ATTAIN-1 trial and then announced a development that may change the oral-pill race.
The weight-loss drug market has become a battleground, ignited by the runaway success of 's (( Novo NordiskNYSE:NVO) Ozempic and Wegovy. These injectable GLP-1 receptor agonists have transformed obesity and diabetes treatment, but Eli Lilly NYSE:LLY) has stolen the spotlight with its own injectable, Zepbound, which outperformed Wegovy in a head-to-head trial, achieving an average 20.2% body weight loss compared to Wegovy's 13.7% over 72 weeks.
This edge has propelled Lilly to the forefront, with Zepbound and its diabetes counterpart, Mounjaro, generating $5.69 billion in sales in the first half of 2025. Yet, the industry's ultimate prize remains an oral weight-loss drug - a pill that eliminates the need for injections, while also promising greater convenience and scalability. However, Eli Lilly made a stunning announcement yesterday that may have just turned the weight-loss-in-pill market on its head.
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