NextFin News - Eli Lilly CEO David Ricks revealed on Thursday that more than 20,000 patients have begun taking Foundayo, the company’s newly launched weight-loss pill, in the first few weeks since its U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval. Speaking in an exclusive interview with CNBC following the company’s first-quarter earnings report, Ricks noted that the drug is currently attracting approximately 1,000 new patients per day. The disclosure marks the first significant data point for a product that investors view as a critical pillar for Lilly’s long-term dominance in the metabolic health market.
The FDA granted approval for Foundayo on April 1, 2026, positioning it as the second oral GLP-1 treatment for obesity to reach the U.S. market, following the December 2025 approval of Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy pill. Unlike Lilly’s injectable blockbusters Zepbound and Mounjaro, which require cold-chain storage and needle administration, Foundayo is a once-daily chemical pill that can be taken without food or water restrictions. Ricks emphasized that the current uptake represents "organic demand," particularly significant given that Foundayo is a new brand name that does not share the immediate recognition of the company’s existing injectable portfolio.
The early prescription data arrived alongside a robust first-quarter financial performance. Eli Lilly reported that sales of Mounjaro surged 125% while Zepbound climbed 80% during the period, though Foundayo’s financial impact was not included in the quarterly results due to the timing of its April launch. The company currently maintains a 60.1% share of the U.S. obesity and diabetes market, a lead it is aggressively defending against Novo Nordisk’s 39.4% share. Ricks indicated that over 80% of Foundayo’s early adopters are new to the GLP-1 class, suggesting the pill is expanding the total market rather than merely cannibalizing existing injectable sales.
Despite the CEO’s optimistic tone, the rapid rollout of oral GLP-1s has met with a degree of caution from some clinical analysts. While Foundayo demonstrated an average weight loss of 12.4% to 15% in clinical trials, these figures trail the 20% or higher benchmarks set by injectable tirzepatide (Zepbound). Some healthcare providers have expressed concern that the convenience of a pill might lead to lower long-term adherence compared to a weekly injection, or that patients might perceive the oral version as a "lighter" and therefore less serious medical intervention. Furthermore, while Lilly has priced the drug as low as $149 a month for out-of-pocket payers—a result of negotiations with the U.S. President Trump administration—the long-term sustainability of such pricing models remains a subject of debate among health economists.
The pharmaceutical giant is already looking to broaden the drug's utility beyond weight loss. Lilly has signaled intentions to seek additional FDA indications for Foundayo in treating sleep apnea, hypertension, and stress urinary incontinence. This diversification strategy aims to cement the drug’s role as a versatile maintenance therapy for patients who have reached their target weight via injectables but prefer a more convenient daily regimen for long-term management. As the supply of GLP-1 medications continues to stabilize, the competition between Lilly and Novo Nordisk is shifting from a battle of manufacturing capacity to one of delivery format and patient preference.
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