Lilly management: oral medication will change the landscape

Lilly has a rich pipeline in the development of new drugs. Currently, Lilly is actively investing in the entire obesity treatment pipeline, rather than focusing on individual drugs or treatment methods, in order to increase the probability of success and meet the needs of different patients.

Among them, orforglipron is an oral drug for type 2 diabetes, and Lilly has high expectations for orforglipron. Lilly believes that it can not only greatly change the existing weight loss market pattern, but also meet the needs of different markets and patient groups. At the same time, Lilly also has confidence in its safety. Lilly stated:

Firstly, orforglipron drugs can be launched in developing countries such as India and Brazil, which have not yet been fully developed and can bring about a significant increase in market capacity.

Secondly, orforglipron, as an oral medication, can meet the needs of developed markets. In developed countries, about 20-25% of type 2 diabetes patients are more likely to choose oral drugs, because this method of administration is usually more convenient than injection, and more easily accepted by consumers.

Thirdly, in terms of cost, oral formulations of orforglipron drugs typically have lower production costs than injectable formulations, thereby reducing overall treatment costs.

Fourthly, in the drug approval process, drug safety is one of the important considerations. Lilly emphasized the safety of orforglipron and stated that orforglipron has no potential side effects on the liver.

In addition to orforglipron, Lilly is developing various potential obesity treatment drugs that are currently in clinical trials at different stages, aimed at meeting the needs of different patient groups:

As Retatrutide is a drug in the late stage of development (Phase III clinical trial), Lilly hopes it can become a new option for weight loss patients.

Bimagrumab is in the second phase of clinical trials and is a non GLP-1 (glucagon like peptide-1) activin inhibitor. It may help maintain muscle mass while losing weight. Ideally, this drug will demonstrate good tolerability and can be used in combination with GLP-1 class drugs to increase weight loss.

Mazdutide is a dual acting drug that combines GLP-1 (glucagon like peptide-1) and glucagon, and is currently in the second phase of clinical trials.

JPMorgan Chase is optimistic about the market outlook for Eli Lilly's orforglipron drug. The reason is that GLP-1 drugs are usually administered by injection, and orforglipron, as an oral medication, provides convenience for patients who prefer oral treatment over injection treatment, expanding the popularity of orforglipron. Therefore, JPMorgan Chase predicts that the listing of orforglipron may bring more than expected market share to Lilly, promote the sales growth of Lilly in 2027 and beyond, and become the leader in the weight loss and diabetes markets.