Gotrade News - Eli Lilly (LLY) raised its full year profit guidance on Thursday (30/04) after blockbuster weight loss drug demand smashed expectations. The pharma giant remains the most dominant name in the global GLP-1 market this earnings cycle.
Key Takeaways:
- Mounjaro posted $8.66 billion in worldwide Q1 2026 revenue, up 125% year over year according to Quartz.
- Eli Lilly lifted 2026 adjusted EPS guidance to $35.50 to $37.00 per share, up from $33.50 to $35.00 per Investing.com.
- New oral obesity pill Foundayo (orforglipron) is positioned as the next major growth lever according to Bloomberg.
Q1 2026 adjusted EPS came in at $8.55, well ahead of the $6.66 analyst consensus per Investing.com data. The size of the beat signals demand for Mounjaro and Zepbound is showing no sign of slowing.
Zepbound reinforced the growth story with $4.16 billion in U.S. sales for the quarter according to Quartz. The figure cements Eli Lilly's lead in the injectable obesity drug segment globally.
CEO David Ricks said "2026 is off to a strong start" in the company's official statement reported by Investing.com. Ricks also flagged the launch of oral pill Foundayo as a way to widen access to GLP-1 therapy.
The GLP-1 Market Pivots to Pills
Foundayo is a once daily oral pill aimed at patients reluctant to use injectable therapy. Bloomberg reported Lilly lifted full year revenue guidance by $2 billion to a range of $82 billion to $85 billion on optimism around the new pill.
U.S. Foundayo prescriptions hit 3,707 for the week ended April 17 per Investing.com. That figure remains below the analyst expectation of roughly 8,000, suggesting the commercial ramp is still in its early innings.
The global GLP-1 market is expected to exceed $150 billion in revenue within the next decade per data cited by Investing.com. Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk remain the two dominant players fighting for share.
What It Means for Investors
Eli Lilly has steadily taken share from Novo Nordisk's Wegovy since launching Zepbound in late 2023 according to Investing.com. Stronger clinical efficacy data has been the main driver of patient switching.
For long term holders, the combination of a guidance raise and a fresh oral pill launch reinforces the double digit growth thesis. Near term risks include U.S. pricing pressure and competing pipeline assets from Novo Nordisk.
LLY remains one of the most heavily weighted pharma names in global investor portfolios in the first half of 2026. We expect today's print to trigger sell side target price revisions over the next two weeks.
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