Zepbound Grows, But CVS/Novo Nordisk Deal For Wegovy Casts Shadow

Lilly executives told the company’s Q1 call they were not surprised at the Wegovy deal, but some analysts said it could cut into prescription growth for Zepbound.

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Eli Lilly has made significant headway in obesity in the first quarter of 2025, recording big year-over-year revenue gains from the GIP/GLP-1 receptor agonist Zepbound (tirzepatide) and successful Phase III trial results for the oral GLP-1 drug orforglipron. And although the largest pharmaceutical benefit manager (PBM) in the country made Zepbound’s chief rival its preferred GLP-1 drug, Lilly took the news in stride as Zepbound has seen a steady increase in insurance coverage, though investors reacted less positively.

Key Takeaways
  • Lilly announced its first quarter 2025 earnings, with overall revenue growing 45% and sales of Zepbound soaring 346%.

The Indianapolis-based drug maker reported its first quarter 2025 earnings on 1 May, with overall revenues increasing 45% to $12.7bn...

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