LifeMD's Business Doubles Following Wegovy Pill Launch
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: May 04 2026
0mins
Source: CNBC
- Significant Business Growth: Following the launch of the Wegovy pill, LifeMD experienced a surge in daily new patients from 300-400 to 600-1,000, indicating strong market demand for oral GLP-1 medications and solidifying its position in telehealth.
- Intensified Market Competition: The successful introduction of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy pill in the U.S. has forced investors to reassess the market potential for oral GLP-1 drugs, particularly after Eli Lilly's Foundayo launch, which has shown a more modest market response, highlighting Novo's competitive edge.
- Increased Patient Acceptance: The lower price and efficacy of the Wegovy pill have led to a growing preference for oral medications over injections, with a notable increase in male patients, which not only expands the GLP-1 market reach but also potentially brings in a more diverse patient demographic.
- Uncertain Future Outlook: Despite the strong performance of Novo's Wegovy pill, analysts remain pessimistic about future sales and profit forecasts, expecting a decline of 5% to 13% by 2026, which could impact investor confidence and pose challenges for the company's long-term growth.
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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: 1126.800
Low
950.00
Averages
1192
High
1500
Current: 1126.800
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.
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- Competitive Market Advantage: Zepbound, the most prescribed injectable obesity medication in the U.S., achieved an average weight loss of 15% (34 lbs) over 72 weeks, enhancing patients' quality of life and securing a larger market share for Lilly in the competitive obesity drug landscape.
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- High Revenue Dependency: Nearly 65% of Eli Lilly's revenue comes from its injectable GLP-1 drugs, Mounjaro and Zepbound, indicating that any loss in market share could significantly affect the company's financial health and growth prospects.
- Promising Drug Development: Eli Lilly's next-generation GLP-1 drug, Retatrutide, is in development, with early trials showing some patients losing over 30% of their weight, comparable to bariatric surgery, which could provide a new growth avenue if successfully launched.
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- Intense Market Competition: Eli Lilly leads the GLP-1 drug market, yet its newly launched oral medication may face acceptance challenges compared to Novo Nordisk's more effective pill, highlighting the fierce competition in the industry.
- High Revenue Dependency: Nearly 65% of Eli Lilly's revenue comes from two injectable GLP-1 drugs, Mounjaro and Zepbound, indicating the critical importance of GLP-1 drugs to the company's business, with future market performance directly impacting its financial health.
- Promising Drug Development: Eli Lilly's next-generation GLP-1 drug, Retatrutide, shows promising early trial results, with some patients losing over 30% of their weight, potentially providing new growth momentum for the company, although it is still in the testing phase.
- Valuation Analysis: With a price-to-earnings ratio of 37x, significantly above the pharma average of 24x, Eli Lilly's current valuation may seem high, but if the new GLP-1 drug meets expectations, it could lead to attractive growth opportunities for the company.
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