Zerbor Could Eli Lilly ( NYSE: LLY ) and Novo Nordisk ( NVO ) soon face competition in the lucrative weight-loss drug market? So far, the market has been dominated by Lilly’s GLP-1 drug tirzepatide, also known as Zepbound, and Novo Nordisk’s GLP-1 drug semaglutide, also known as Wegovy. Both companies have spent years developing drugs to treat diabetes and obesity, and both have multiple next-generation candidates in their pipelines. But Lilly and Novo's party of two could get a bit more crowded in the not-so-distant future, with several drugmakers eyeing the duo's lunch.
At least eight companies currently have weight-loss drug candidates in mid-to-late stage development, including Pfizer ( PFE ), Amgen ( AMGN ), Viking Therapeutics ( VKTX ), Altimmune ( ALT ), Structure Therapeutics ( GPCR ) and Boehringer Ingelheim. And several more have drug candidates in pre-clinical or early-stage development, including Roche ( OTCQX:RHHBY ). Which brings us to today’s biomed investor question: Who will bring the next big weight-loss drug to market? We asked Seeking Alpha biomed analysts Edmund Ingham , Stephen Ayers and Terry Chrisomalis to weigh in on the weight-loss drugmakers.
Stephen Ayers: I would bet on either Eli Lilly ( LLY ) or Novo Nordisk ( NVO ), the two market leaders, to bring the next big obesity drug to market. Both companies have decades of experience with chronic conditions such as diabetes, and their expertise should not be underestimated. Both companies have in.
