Eli Lilly’s Obesity Pill For The Masses Could Flip The $150 Billion Market on Its Head!

Eli Lilly has firmly positioned itself at the forefront of the global anti-obesity drug race, fueled by its blockbuster GLP-1-based injectable Zepbound and an upcoming oral pill called orforglipron that could further cement its dominance. While rival Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy enjoyed a first-mover advantage, Lilly’s more effective compound tirzepatide rapidly seized control of the market, capturing 60% share and 75% of new treatment starts. Despite facing a setback with CVS’s recent formulary switch favoring Wegovy, Lilly continues to add approximately 500,000 new Zepbound patients each month and is expanding aggressively into international markets including India, China, and Mexico. The next milestone in Lilly’s strategy is the expected launch of orforglipron, a once-daily oral small molecule targeting the obesity segment less inclined to adopt injectable drugs. With clinical data showing comparable efficacy to injectable semaglutide and multiple trial readouts expected this year, the pill represents a critical move in Lilly’s ambition to “cover every square” of the obesity treatment landscape.