An indication with the corporate brand outdoors the headquarters of Eli Lilly and Company in Indianapolis, Indiana, March 17, 2024.
Scott Olson | Getty Images
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Earlier this month, Berkshire Hathaway topped $1 trillion in market worth, the primary non-tech firm within the U.S. to take action. Soon, pharmaceutical big Eli Lilly may turn into the primary health-care firm to hitch that membership.
Why? Eli Lilly is driving the hovering demand for its injectable weight reduction drug Zepbound and diabetes remedy Mounjaro, that are incretin medicine that mimic hormones produced within the intestine to tamp down urge for food and regulate blood sugar. Revenue from Mounjaro and Zepbound now account for nearly 40% of Eli Lilly’s complete gross sales, in line with its second-quarter ends in August.
The firm is one among two dominant gamers within the weight reduction drug market, which some analysts imagine may very well be price $150 billion by the tip of the last decade. Eli Lilly can also be pulling forward of its predominant rival, Novo Nordisk, because it reveals progress towards increasing the availability of its medicine.
Novo Nordisk can also be investing billions to spice up manufacturing. But its personal weight reduction and diabetes medicine, Wegovy and Ozempic, missed gross sales expectations for the second quarter partially as a result of pricing strain within the U.S.
Investors are additionally inspired by the opposite doable well being advantages of Eli Lilly’s remedies, which may enhance their long-term income potential. The firm has launched a number of examine outcomes over the past yr exhibiting Zepbound’s promise as a remedy for obesity-related circumstances corresponding to obstructive sleep apnea, fatty liver illness and heart problems.
Shares of Eli Lily have soared greater than 60% this yr, placing its market worth at practically $900 billion.
And the corporate may attain that $1 trillion mark quickly. Eli Lilly’s inventory soared virtually 10% on Aug. 8 following its second-quarter outcomes that surpassed Wall Street’s expectations. The drugmaker may submit one other blowout quarter on Oct. 30.
Shares may additionally get a lift from potential information and regulatory approvals. For instance, Eli Lilly expects the Food and Drug Administration to decide on whether or not to approve Zepbound for sleep apnea by the tip of the yr.
Eli Lilly may probably launch information from a late-stage trial that pits Zepbound immediately towards Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy by the tip of the yr, in line with an Aug. 20 observe from Leerink Partners analyst David Risinger.
Feel free to ship any ideas, solutions, story concepts and information to Annika at annikakim.constantino@nbcuni.com.
Latest in health-care tech: Another steady glucose monitor hits the market
Stacey Wescott | Chicago Tribune | Tribune News Service | Getty Images
It’s raining steady glucose screens!
Abbott Laboratories on Thursday announced its first over-the-counter continuous glucose monitor Lingo is available in the U.S., just days after its competitor Dexcom launched a similar product.
Continuous glucose monitors are small sensors that stick through the skin to measure real-time glucose levels. The devices have traditionally been prescribed to diabetes patients since they can help alert those users to emergencies. Lingo is more consumer friendly, as it’s meant for adults who are not taking insulin.
Glucose is a sugar molecule that comes from food, and it’s the body’s main source of energy. Everyone’s glucose levels fluctuate, but consistently elevated levels can lead to more serious conditions like heart disease, insulin resistance and metabolic disease, Abbott said.
Lingo is designed to help users learn about how their bodies respond to food, exercise, sleep and stress, as well as how they can manage their glucose levels in healthier ways.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Lingo in June. It’s available without a prescription, and users can buy one sensor online for $49, two sensors for $89 or six sensors for $249.
Dexcom’s new over-the-counter continuous glucose monitor is called Stelo, and the FDA approved it in March. An ongoing Stelo subscription costs $89 a month, and users can also buy a one-month supply for $99 at a time.
I tested out Stelo prior to its launch, and you can read about my experience here. I haven’t tried Lingo yet, but Abbott walked me through the app and how it works.
One feature that stood out to me is Abbott’s “Lingo Count,” a metric designed to help users understand glucose spikes. That occurs when the amount of sugar present in the bloodstream rapidly increases and then decreases, commonly after eating.
The Lingo Count algorithm assigns a numeric value to each glucose spike, and it’s supposed to represent how significant the impact of that fluctuation is. Users have a total target Lingo Count that they want to aim to stay below each day, and they can see their progress over time.
In order to learn how to manage glucose spikes, Lingo users can participate in challenges and access educational materials within the app. I think the challenges could serve as a fun way to engage people around their glucose, and I’m interested to try them for myself.
On the whole, I thought the app seemed intuitive and helpful. The data is presented in a way that doesn’t feel too complex or overwhelming, and consumers have the option to go deeper if they want.
I’m planning to test out Lingo later this month, so I’ll have more to share soon!
Feel free to send any tips, suggestions, story ideas and data to Ashley at ashley.capoot@nbcuni.com.
