Eli Lilly's Tirzepatide Sales Reach $24.8 Billion, Bright Outlook Ahead
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Jan 11 2026
0mins
Source: NASDAQ.COM
- Sales Surge: Eli Lilly's tirzepatide generated $24.8 billion in revenue during the first nine months of 2025, surpassing Keytruda as the world's best-selling drug, indicating strong performance in the weight loss market, with projections nearing $62 billion in sales by 2030.
- Competitive Edge: Despite pressure from rivals like Novo Nordisk in the weight loss drug market, Eli Lilly has solidified its market leadership with exceptional clinical trial results, particularly with retatrutide achieving an impressive 28.7% mean weight loss in phase 3 studies.
- Market Outlook: Eli Lilly's price-to-earnings ratio stands at 33, significantly above the healthcare sector average of 18.2, yet its revenue and earnings growth rates justify this premium, highlighting strong growth potential in the coming years.
- R&D Investment: Eli Lilly is advancing the approval process for orforglipron, expected to receive results by the end of February, with this expedited review process further enhancing its competitive position in the weight loss drug market and ensuring its leadership in the industry.
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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: 1149.150
Low
950.00
Averages
1192
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1500
Current: 1149.150
Low
950.00
Averages
1192
High
1500
About LLY
Eli Lilly and Company is a medicine company, which discovers, develops, manufactures, and market products in a single business segment called human pharmaceutical products. The Company manufacture and distribute its products through facilities in the United States, including Puerto Rico, and in Europe and Asia. The Company’s products are sold in approximately 90 countries. Its Cardiometabolic Health products 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, and others. Its oncology products include Cyramza, Erbitux, Tyvyt, Verzenio, Retevmo, Jaypirca, and others. Its immunology products include Ebglyss, Olumiant, Omvoh, and Taltz. Its neuroscience products include Emgality and Kisunla. Its LillyDirect, a direct-to-patient digital health care platform, provides delivery of select Lilly medicines dispensed by third-party pharmacies to patients.
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.
- New Dosing Regimen: EBGLYSS (lebrikizumab-lbkz) has received FDA approval for a new regimen allowing a single 250 mg injection every eight weeks, reducing the treatment frequency to as few as six maintenance injections per year, significantly enhancing patient quality of life.
- Clinical Data Support: This approval is based on clinical data from the 32-week ADjoin long-term trial, demonstrating that the new dosing regimen maintains safety and efficacy comparable to the every-four-week schedule, ensuring sustained disease control for patients.
- Market Potential: As a first-line biologic treatment for moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis, EBGLYSS is expected to attract more patients, further solidifying Lilly's market position in dermatological therapies.
- Patient Support Program: Lilly offers co-pay assistance through its EBGLYSS patient support services, ensuring that 94% of commercially insured patients have coverage, reflecting the company's commitment to health equity and affordability for patients.
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- Investment Review: Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla stated in a letter to Chancellor Friedrich Merz that the company is reviewing its investment timing and scope in Germany due to government proposals aimed at lowering drug prices, which could undermine long-term investment predictability in the pharmaceutical sector.
- Policy Impact: Bourla emphasized that the government's proposals raise questions about the predictability necessary for the pharmaceutical industry, prompting Pfizer to reassess its external engagements and future investment priorities, potentially affecting its market positioning in Germany.
- Industry Reaction: This announcement follows Eli Lilly's decision to halve its $2.3 billion investment in Germany and Boehringer Ingelheim's cancellation of its €900 million plans, both citing the government's healthcare cost-cutting measures, highlighting the industry's sensitivity to policy changes.
- Market Uncertainty: Pfizer's investment review reflects a broader uncertainty within the pharmaceutical industry regarding the future of the German market, which may lead other companies to reconsider their investment strategies in Germany, thereby impacting the overall investment climate in the sector.
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- Therapeutic Innovation: The FDA has approved Eli Lilly's Ebglyss for bi-monthly maintenance dosing, allowing patients to manage eczema with only six injections per year, significantly reducing treatment frequency and enhancing patient adherence and quality of life.
- Clinical Support: This approval is backed by data from the ADjoin late-stage trial extension, which evaluated Ebglyss administered every eight weeks versus every four weeks, demonstrating efficacy in patients with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis.
- Market Potential: The approval opens new market opportunities for Eli Lilly in dermatological treatments, particularly bolstered by its partnership with Spanish pharma company Almirall, enhancing its competitive position in the European market.
- Patient Benefit: Adrienne Brown, president of Lilly Immunology, noted that this therapy allows patients with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis to avoid starting with prescription topicals, greatly simplifying treatment regimens and addressing the demand for convenient therapies.
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- Clinical Trial Data Released: Eli Lilly presented detailed clinical trial data for its experimental drug retatrutide at the American Diabetes Association meeting, confirming that its once-weekly injection offers superior weight loss prospects compared to existing medications, further solidifying its leadership in the obesity drug market.
- Increasing Market Competition: While Lilly maintains a leading position, new data from Roche, AstraZeneca, and Pfizer indicates intensifying competition in the obesity drug market, which may lead to price reductions and more options, potentially impacting Lilly's market share.
- Diverse Patient Choices: Roche's enicepatide demonstrated a 22.7% weight loss in mid-stage trials, while both Lilly and Novo Nordisk are committed to providing multiple drug options to cater to diverse patient needs, emphasizing the importance of personalized treatment.
- Challenges in Side Effect Management: Despite breakthroughs in weight loss efficacy, many drugs still face significant side effect issues, particularly gastrointestinal discomfort associated with GLP-1 and GIP hormones, leading to discontinuation rates as high as 40%, posing challenges for market acceptance of these therapies.
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- Legal Action Context: Novo Nordisk has filed a lawsuit in the South African High Court to prevent local pharmacy iDexis from manufacturing and selling unapproved weight-loss products containing semaglutide, highlighting serious concerns regarding patient safety and product quality.
- Regulatory Compliance Issues: South Africa imposes strict restrictions on the compounding of drug ingredients, and iDexis is accused of violating laws by engaging in large-scale manufacturing and distribution of unregistered medicines, posing a potential threat to public health.
- Market Response: Following a surge in demand for drugs like Eli Lilly's Mounjaro and Novo's Wegovy, the price of Wegovy's lowest injected dose has dropped from 3,090 rand to 1,873 rand, prompting some patients to switch to cheaper compounded versions, thus creating a gray market.
- Regulatory Authority Actions: A joint inspection by the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority and the Pharmacy Council found serious deficiencies in iDexis's quality and safety practices, leading to product seizures and recalls, demonstrating a strong stance against illegal drug manufacturing.
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- New Dosing Schedule Approval: Eli Lilly announced that the FDA has approved an every-eight-week maintenance dosing schedule for EBGLYSS (lebrikizumab-lbkz) for patients aged 12 and older weighing at least 40 kg, significantly reducing the frequency of administration and enhancing treatment convenience for patients.
- Significant Sales Growth: EBGLYSS sales surged 141% year-over-year to $145 million in Q1, reflecting strong market demand for the drug, which also supported the company's overall revenue growth of 56% to $19.80 billion.
- Clinical Data Support: The approval was backed by longitudinal data from the extended ADjoin Phase 3 trial, demonstrating the safety and efficacy of the every-eight-week dosing regimen, with no new safety signals observed during the 32-week observation period, further bolstering market confidence in the drug.
- Market Exclusivity: Eli Lilly holds exclusive rights for the development and commercialization of EBGLYSS in the U.S., while Almirall has licensed rights for dermatological indications in Europe, a strategic move that will help the company expand its market share and enhance brand influence globally.
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