David Ricks, CEO of Eli Lilly and Company
Scott Mullin | CNBC
Eli Lilly and Company expect it experimental weight loss pills Chief executive David Ricks said approval could come as soon as early next year tell Bloomberg TV on Monday.
The company plans to release pivotal late-stage trial data for the drug, orforglipron, in the middle of this year.
Eli Lilly is working to bring the drug to market as it Novo Nordisk and smaller rivals vying for a major share of the booming weight-loss drug market. Eli Lilly and Company’s Zepbound and Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy dominate the field, but drugmakers and their rivals have struggled to develop Improved version of drugs.
Pills would be more convenient for patients than current injections. Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk will also be easier to produce at a time when they have been struggling to produce enough of the drug to meet growing demand.
Eli Lilly said orforglipron helped patients lose 14.7% of their body weight in a mid-stage trial, while those taking a placebo lost 2.3%.
Eli Lilly shares fell about 2% on Monday.
