is expected to receive a U.S. weight loss approval for its similar drug, Mounjaro, later this year.
"We're going full guns on this," said Bill Sessa, chief scientific officer at Pfizer's Internal Medicine Research Unit. "If we can accelerate, we will." The United States is expected to account for as much as 90% of weight-loss drug sales due to the number of potential patients and higher pricing than other countries, industry analysts and executives say.
Eli Lilly is working on an oral GLP-1. Novo Nordisk already offers Rybelsus, an oral version of the same compound in Wegovy for diabetes, although its success has been limited. Doctors expect patients will need to stay on these drugs long term to maintain their weight loss. Last year, a Novo Nordisk-funded study found patients regained about two-thirds of their lost weight a year after stopping treatment.