Fat, not muscle: drugmakers in race for next weight-loss breakthrough
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Jun 18 2025
0mins
Should l Buy LLY?
Source: Reuters
Weight-loss treatments and muscle preservation: Current weight-loss methods can lead to muscle loss, increasing fall risks for older patients. Companies like Eli Lilly, Regeneron, and Roche are developing new treatments that aim to preserve or grow muscle while aiding weight loss.
Innovative drug developments: Various pharmaceutical companies are testing drugs targeting myostatin and other proteins to enhance muscle mass retention during weight loss. These include Eli Lilly's bimagrumab, Regeneron's trevogrumab, and Biohaven's taldefgrobep alfa, among others, with several studies expected to yield results in the coming years.
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Analyst Views on LLY
Wall Street analysts forecast LLY stock price to rise
20 Analyst Rating
18 Buy
2 Hold
0 Sell
Strong Buy
Current: 1038.270
Low
950.00
Averages
1192
High
1500
Current: 1038.270
Low
950.00
Averages
1192
High
1500
About LLY
Eli Lilly and Company is a medicine company, which discovers, develops, manufactures, markets, and sells pharmaceutical products worldwide. Its cardiometabolic health products include Basaglar; Humalog, Humalog Mix 75/25, Humalog U-100, Humalog U-200, Humalog Mix 50/50, insulin lispro, and others; Humulin, Humulin 70/30, and others; Jardiance; Mounjaro; Trulicity; Zepbound; VERVE-102; VERVE-201, and VERVE-301. Its oncology products include Cyramza, Erbitux, Tyvyt, and Verzenio. Its immunology products include Ebglyss, Olumiant, Omvoh, and Taltz. Its neuroscience products include Emgality and Kisunla. The Company is also engaged in radiopharmaceutical discovery, development, and manufacturing efforts, and clinical and pre-clinical radioligand therapies in development for the treatment of cancer. It is also developing an oral small molecule inhibitor of a4b7 integrin for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). It is evaluating its novel gene therapy candidate, ixoberogene soroparvovec.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
Eli Lilly's Innovation and Growth Prospects
- Strong Clinical Execution: Eli Lilly achieved positive outcomes in nearly all R&D key events in 2025, showcasing exceptional performance in diabetes and weight loss medications, which is expected to further drive market share and revenue growth in the future.
- Cancer Drug Progress: The company's cancer medication, Jaypirca, excelled in a phase 3 trial and is on track for label expansions, which will provide new revenue streams and enhance its competitiveness in oncology treatment.
- AI Investment: Eli Lilly is investing in building the industry's largest AI supercomputer to accelerate drug development, which is expected to significantly improve clinical trial success rates and bolster the company's innovative standing and market leadership in the pharmaceutical sector.
- Robust Financial Performance: The company continues to report strong financial results, boasts a rich product pipeline, and rewards shareholders through increasing dividends and share buybacks, demonstrating its diversified growth potential beyond diabetes and weight loss markets.
See More
Eli Lilly Leverages AI to Transform Drug Development
- AI Platform Launch: Eli Lilly launched the TuneLab platform in September last year, allowing other drugmakers digital access to proprietary data on drug molecule performance, which saves significant time and money, enabling companies to focus on their best research projects.
- Major Investment Partnership: Eli Lilly partnered with Nvidia, committing $1 billion to build a supercomputer aimed at deepening disease understanding and advancing drug development, marking a significant step in the company's AI drug development efforts.
- Huge Market Potential: According to Straits Research, the AI-powered drug discovery industry is expected to grow at an annual rate of 30% through 2034, reaching over $20 billion, providing Eli Lilly with substantial future revenue opportunities.
- Increased Collaboration Opportunities: By owning a powerful drug development platform, Eli Lilly can not only optimize its own research but also establish partnerships with smaller pharmaceutical companies, helping them bring new drugs to market and enhancing its competitive edge.
See More
Eli Lilly Achieves Record High Success Rate in Clinical Trials
- Clinical Trial Success Rate: Eli Lilly achieved positive outcomes in nearly all R&D key events in 2025, showcasing strong performance in diabetes and weight loss, which is expected to further drive the company's financial growth.
- Innovative Drug Progress: Eli Lilly's anti-obesity drug retatrutide excelled in a phase 3 study, potentially providing new revenue streams, while the cancer drug Jaypirca also succeeded in phase 3, paving the way for label expansions.
- AI Investment: Eli Lilly is investing in building the industry's largest AI supercomputer to accelerate drug development, indicating the company's forward-thinking approach to innovation, with the FDA also recognizing the value of AI in drug discovery.
- Strong Financial Performance: Eli Lilly not only excels in clinical trials but also continues to reward shareholders with growing dividends and share buybacks, demonstrating its diversified investment potential beyond diabetes and weight loss.
See More
Beijing May Prioritize Consumers in the Year of the Horse: Strategies to Consider.
- Economic Outlook: As China enters the Year of the Fire Horse, there is an expectation of a lower official economic growth target from Beijing.
- Focus Shift: The Chinese government is anticipated to prioritize reviving consumer confidence and spending over previous economic strategies.
See More
Eli Lilly Acquires Orna Therapeutics to Enhance Drug Pipeline
- Market Volatility: Pfizer's stock surged from $33 to nearly $60 in 2020 due to rapid COVID-19 vaccine production, but after a significant drop in 2023, it now trades around $28, indicating the volatility in pharmaceutical demand.
- Patent Expiration Risks: Drug companies face challenges from patent expirations, with typical drug patents lasting 20 years; however, due to lengthy development times, effective market exclusivity often shrinks to just 10 to 12 years, necessitating continuous pipeline replenishment.
- Strategic Acquisition: Eli Lilly announced a $2.4 billion acquisition of Orna Therapeutics, which focuses on innovative drugs that manipulate genes and cells within patients, further solidifying its leadership in the lucrative GLP-1 drug category.
- Collaborative Development: Prior to the acquisition, Lilly entered a $350 million collaboration with a Chinese biotech firm to develop treatments for immune disorders and cancer, showcasing its strategic vision for global innovation in drug development.
See More
Market Rebounds as Eli Lilly Prepares for New Drug Launch
- Market Rebound: After a volatile week, the S&P 500 showed signs of recovery on Friday, although it still faced losses over the past five trading days, indicating a renewed investor confidence in the economic outlook.
- Inflation Data Impact: The cooler-than-expected January consumer price index contributed to a drop in bond yields and increased expectations for interest rate cuts later this year, further bolstering investor sentiment.
- Eli Lilly's Drug Inventory: Eli Lilly has built up $1.5 billion worth of pre-launch inventory for its GLP-1 obesity pill orforglipron, significantly up from $550 million last year, indicating strong demand expectations from the market.
- Upcoming Earnings Reports: Approximately 50 S&P 500 companies are set to report earnings next week, including Palo Alto Networks and Texas Roadhouse, with the market closely watching these reports for their implications on the broader economy.
See More
Eli Lilly's Innovation and Growth Prospects
- Strong Clinical Execution: Eli Lilly achieved positive outcomes in nearly all R&D key events in 2025, showcasing exceptional performance in diabetes and weight loss medications, which is expected to further drive market share and revenue growth in the future.
- Cancer Drug Progress: The company's cancer medication, Jaypirca, excelled in a phase 3 trial and is on track for label expansions, which will provide new revenue streams and enhance its competitiveness in oncology treatment.
- AI Investment: Eli Lilly is investing in building the industry's largest AI supercomputer to accelerate drug development, which is expected to significantly improve clinical trial success rates and bolster the company's innovative standing and market leadership in the pharmaceutical sector.
- Robust Financial Performance: The company continues to report strong financial results, boasts a rich product pipeline, and rewards shareholders through increasing dividends and share buybacks, demonstrating its diversified growth potential beyond diabetes and weight loss markets.
See More
Eli Lilly Leverages AI to Transform Drug Development
- AI Platform Launch: Eli Lilly launched the TuneLab platform in September last year, allowing other drugmakers digital access to proprietary data on drug molecule performance, which saves significant time and money, enabling companies to focus on their best research projects.
- Major Investment Partnership: Eli Lilly partnered with Nvidia, committing $1 billion to build a supercomputer aimed at deepening disease understanding and advancing drug development, marking a significant step in the company's AI drug development efforts.
- Huge Market Potential: According to Straits Research, the AI-powered drug discovery industry is expected to grow at an annual rate of 30% through 2034, reaching over $20 billion, providing Eli Lilly with substantial future revenue opportunities.
- Increased Collaboration Opportunities: By owning a powerful drug development platform, Eli Lilly can not only optimize its own research but also establish partnerships with smaller pharmaceutical companies, helping them bring new drugs to market and enhancing its competitive edge.
See More
Eli Lilly Achieves Record High Success Rate in Clinical Trials
- Clinical Trial Success Rate: Eli Lilly achieved positive outcomes in nearly all R&D key events in 2025, showcasing strong performance in diabetes and weight loss, which is expected to further drive the company's financial growth.
- Innovative Drug Progress: Eli Lilly's anti-obesity drug retatrutide excelled in a phase 3 study, potentially providing new revenue streams, while the cancer drug Jaypirca also succeeded in phase 3, paving the way for label expansions.
- AI Investment: Eli Lilly is investing in building the industry's largest AI supercomputer to accelerate drug development, indicating the company's forward-thinking approach to innovation, with the FDA also recognizing the value of AI in drug discovery.
- Strong Financial Performance: Eli Lilly not only excels in clinical trials but also continues to reward shareholders with growing dividends and share buybacks, demonstrating its diversified investment potential beyond diabetes and weight loss.
See More
Beijing May Prioritize Consumers in the Year of the Horse: Strategies to Consider.
- Economic Outlook: As China enters the Year of the Fire Horse, there is an expectation of a lower official economic growth target from Beijing.
- Focus Shift: The Chinese government is anticipated to prioritize reviving consumer confidence and spending over previous economic strategies.
See More
Eli Lilly Acquires Orna Therapeutics to Enhance Drug Pipeline
- Market Volatility: Pfizer's stock surged from $33 to nearly $60 in 2020 due to rapid COVID-19 vaccine production, but after a significant drop in 2023, it now trades around $28, indicating the volatility in pharmaceutical demand.
- Patent Expiration Risks: Drug companies face challenges from patent expirations, with typical drug patents lasting 20 years; however, due to lengthy development times, effective market exclusivity often shrinks to just 10 to 12 years, necessitating continuous pipeline replenishment.
- Strategic Acquisition: Eli Lilly announced a $2.4 billion acquisition of Orna Therapeutics, which focuses on innovative drugs that manipulate genes and cells within patients, further solidifying its leadership in the lucrative GLP-1 drug category.
- Collaborative Development: Prior to the acquisition, Lilly entered a $350 million collaboration with a Chinese biotech firm to develop treatments for immune disorders and cancer, showcasing its strategic vision for global innovation in drug development.
See More
Market Rebounds as Eli Lilly Prepares for New Drug Launch
- Market Rebound: After a volatile week, the S&P 500 showed signs of recovery on Friday, although it still faced losses over the past five trading days, indicating a renewed investor confidence in the economic outlook.
- Inflation Data Impact: The cooler-than-expected January consumer price index contributed to a drop in bond yields and increased expectations for interest rate cuts later this year, further bolstering investor sentiment.
- Eli Lilly's Drug Inventory: Eli Lilly has built up $1.5 billion worth of pre-launch inventory for its GLP-1 obesity pill orforglipron, significantly up from $550 million last year, indicating strong demand expectations from the market.
- Upcoming Earnings Reports: Approximately 50 S&P 500 companies are set to report earnings next week, including Palo Alto Networks and Texas Roadhouse, with the market closely watching these reports for their implications on the broader economy.
See More
