Eli Lilly’s recently introduced oral obesity medication, Foundayo, posted a limited increase in U.S. prescriptions during its second week on the market, according to IQVIA data cited by Wall Street analysts. Prescriptions for the week ended April 17 totaled 3,707, up from 1,390 in its first week of availability.
Those figures stand in contrast to the launch trajectory of Novo Nordisk’s oral Wegovy. In its second week, Wegovy accounted for 18,410 prescriptions, after recording 3,071 in the first four days following its January debut. The relative gap between the two oral GLP-1 treatments has become a focal point for market observers as competition heats up in the weight-loss drug category.
Analysts voiced differing interpretations of Foundayo’s early uptake. Deutsche Bank’s James Shin said he would have preferred to see second-week prescriptions closer to approximately 8,000 to indicate that Foundayo was maintaining a comparable spread versus oral Wegovy’s rollout. RBC Capital Markets’ Trung Huynh commented that while comparisons made near launch can be of limited significance, Foundayo’s week-two numbers are likely to be viewed negatively by the market.
Market reaction was immediate: Lilly shares traded nearly 4% lower while shares of U.S.-listed Novo increased by about 6% on the same day. Truist analyst Srikripa Devarakonda described Foundayo’s second-week total as modest, noting it represented roughly 20% of the volume oral Wegovy achieved in its first full week.
Observers flagged the timing and branding advantages that Wegovy enjoyed. J.P. Morgan analyst Chris Schott described the pace for Foundayo as a somewhat slower ramp compared with oral Wegovy, and characterized that outcome as unsurprising given Wegovy’s earlier time-to-market and the head start in brand recognition.
Regulatory and distribution timelines for Foundayo are clear in the data. The drug received U.S. approval on April 1, and Lilly began accepting prescriptions immediately through its LillyDirect channel. Shipping commenced on April 6, and broader distribution across U.S. retail pharmacies and telehealth providers started on April 9.
Lilly has cautioned that early weekly prescription tallies are not fully comprehensive. The company warned these initial counts may not capture all pharmacy partners and advised that early figures are best interpreted over a longer timeframe rather than regarded as a full or definitive measure of demand.
Market context: The early prescription trajectory for Foundayo is being treated as a key indicator of whether Lilly can take market share from Novo in the expanding oral obesity drug segment. Investors and analysts continue to watch subsequent weekly data for clearer signals about patient uptake and distribution reach.