Novo Nordisk Wegovy pill outsells Lilly's Foundayo 9-to-1 as growth slows

Novo Nordisk A/S's oral Wegovy pill recorded 146,000 weekly prescriptions in the period ending May 22, maintaining a roughly 9-to-1 lead over Eli Lilly & Co.'s recently launched Foundayo as growth rates decelerate, according to IQVIA prescription tracking data.

"The Wegovy pill continues to dominate the oral GLP-1 market, but the 2 percent week-over-week growth rate represents a clear deceleration from earlier launch phases," Citi analysts said in a note. The four-week rolling average also sits at 2 percent, down from higher rates seen in prior weeks.

Foundayo (orforglipron), which launched April 9, recorded about 16,000 prescriptions in its sixth full week on the market. At the equivalent point in its own launch, Wegovy pill had reached roughly 57,000 prescriptions — a 3.6-times advantage. Within the Wegovy pill prescription mix, the lowest 1.5 milligram dose fell 3 percent week-on-week, while higher doses captured a growing share, suggesting patients are titrating upward as expected. The drug is also running at approximately 2.4 times the prescription volume that Lilly's injectable Zepbound achieved at the same stage of its launch, though the figures do not fully capture the direct-to-patient cash-pay channel.

Citi cautioned that the competitive picture could shift materially once Lilly begins television direct-to-consumer advertising for Foundayo, which is not scheduled to start until the third quarter. The oral GLP-1 market has become the most hotly contested space in global pharmaceuticals, with Novo Nordisk's Wegovy pill — approved by the FDA in late December for obesity and cardiovascular disease — facing increasing pressure from Lilly's expanding portfolio. The broader GLP-1 category, which mimics a gut hormone to suppress appetite and regulate blood sugar, represents a multibillion-dollar opportunity that both companies are racing to capture through oral formulations that could expand the addressable patient population beyond those willing to take injections.

For Novo Nordisk holders, the slowing prescription growth signals that Lilly's competitive threat is materializing, even if the Danish drugmaker retains a commanding lead for now. Investors will watch Lilly's Q3 advertising campaign launch and any subsequent acceleration in Foundayo's prescription trajectory as the next key catalyst.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice.