Novo Nordisk A/S, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the research and development, manufacture, and distribution of pharmaceutical products in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, North America, and internationally. It operates in two segments, Diabetes and Obesity Care, and Rare Disease. The Diabetes and Obesity care segment provides products for diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular, and other emerging therapy areas. The Rare Disease segment offers products in the areas of rare blood disorders, rare endocrine disorders, and hormone replacement therapy. The company also provides insulin pens, growth hormone pens, and injection needles. In addition, it offers smart solutions for diabetes treatment, such as smart insulin pens and Dose Check, an insulin dose guidance application. The company has a collaboration agreement with Aspen Pharmaceuticals to produce insulin products. Novo Nordisk A/S was founded in 1923 and is headquartered in Bagsvaerd, Denmark.

Novo Nordisk A/S демонстрирует значительные достижения в ключевых финансовых показателях, таких как рентабельность и рост прибыли. Показатели ROE, ROA и ROI значительно превышают медианные значения по отрасли, что свидетельствует о высокой эффективности использования капитала. Однако, мультипликаторы, такие как P/E и P/B, значительно выше медианных значений, указывая на возможную переоцененность акций. Долговая нагрузка также выше медианы, что может увеличить риски в условиях нестабильности. Дивидендная доходность растет, что является положительным сигналом для инвесторов. Выручка и чистая прибыль показывают устойчивый рост, что подтверждает финансовую стабильность компании. В целом, несмотря на некоторые негативные аспекты, такие как высокая оценка по мультипликаторам и долговая нагрузка, сильные финансовые показатели и устойчивый рост доходов создают позитивный фон для оценки компании, но требуют осторожного подхода к инвестициям.

Novo Nordisk A/S

Key Points
One analyst thinks Eli Lilly's shares boast significant upside potential.
The company's weight loss portfolio could help drive solid growth over the medium term.
There are other reasons to buy Eli Lilly's shares at current levels.
Eli Lilly (NYSE: LLY) has established itself as the leader in the weight-loss drug market. Since this area is projected to grow significantly over the next decade, the company's outlook seems bright. However, some investors are skeptical about the drugmaker's ability to generate superior returns over the next five years. The bears will point to Eli Lilly's valuation: the company trades at 25.7x forward earnings, well above the 17x average for healthcare stocks.
Even at current levels -- and with its shares changing hands for about $870 apiece -- some people think Eli Lilly remains undervalued. Let's look at what a Wall Street analyst recently said on the topic and what it means for investors.
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A bullish outlook
Terence Flynn, an analyst at Morgan Stanley, recently reiterated an overweight (or "buy") rating on Eli Lilly stock along with a price target of $1,327. That suggests an upside of about 52% from its current levels. If Eli Lilly can reach this price target within the next year, the stock will exceed the $1 trillion mark.
Why is Flynn so bullish on the stock? Partly because of Eli Lilly's dominance in the weight loss market. This comes even in the wake of recent coverage decisions by major insurers, including CVS Health, which decided to drop coverage of Eli Lilly's Zepbound, a move that could slow the medicine's adoption. CVS Health will, instead, cover the cheaper Wegovy, marketed by Novo Nordisk.
Still, Flynn thinks that Zepbound and Eli Lilly's new weight loss oral pill, Foundayo, could generate about $31 billion in combined sales in the U.S. next year, with that number potentially rising to $45 billion in 2030. For reference, Foundayo was recently launched just weeks ago, whereas Zepbound generated worldwide revenue of $13.5 billion in 2025. If Flynn is right, we can expect attractive top-line growth for Eli Lilly through the end of the decade (and perhaps beyond).
Should you buy the stock?
CVS Health's recent coverage decision highlights one of the major risks Eli Lilly faces. There are others. The company will encounter even more competition in the coming years. That means more options for patients and third-party payers, reduced pricing power, perhaps a smaller market share, and more. Despite these potential issues, my view is that Eli Lilly remains an attractive stock to buy. Here are three reasons why. First, the company's weight-loss pipeline is second to none.
Eli Lilly boasts some candidates in development that could prove even more effective than Zepbound. Perhaps the most promising is retatrutide, a medicine currently in phase 3 studies. This investigational therapy led to a mean weight loss of 28.7% (at the highest dose) in a 68-week late-stage trial. Although it's always challenging to compare across studies, that's much better than anything Zepbound has ever accomplished in a similar amount of time in clinical trials.
Even Eli Lilly's new weight loss pill, Foundayo, looks highly promising. Besides having no food or water restrictions -- unlike its only real competitor, oral Wegovy -- it is also undergoing several phase 3 studies across other potential indications. The list includes obstructive sleep apnea, hypertension, and more. Additional indications should help broaden the medicine's appeal and boost its sales. So, Eli Lilly should remain the leader in this market for a while.
Second, the company has a vast pipeline outside of its core area of expertise. Eli Lilly is doubling down on fields such as oncology, neuroscience, and others. The company has improved its pipeline in these and other niches through acquisitions. If it can launch more medicines beyond diabetes and obesity, the company will be better equipped to handle the increased competition it will face in its core market. Third, Eli Lilly is an attractive dividend stock.
Don't let the company's unimpressive forward yield of 0.7% fool you -- that's largely because the stock has crushed broader equities over the past five years. Eli Lilly has increased its payouts by 103.5% in this period. Considering its fast-growing top and bottom lines and excellent income program, Eli Lilly is a great stock for growth-oriented investors and dividend seekers alike.
Should you buy stock in Eli Lilly right now?
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The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Is Eli Lilly Stock Undervalued at $870? 1 Top Wall Street Analyst Thinks So

Key Points
Novo Nordisk is partnering with an AI leader to accelerate its drug development process.
This initiative may have a meaningful impact on the business, but it will take some time to materialize.
Novo Nordisk's pipeline progress could help jolt the stock over the next few years.
Novo Nordisk (NYSE: NVO) has been a market laggard over the past two years. The company has faced clinical setbacks and market-share losses in the weight-loss space, and now it expects its sales to decline in 2026. Is there any way back for the company? While many are looking toward potential clinical and regulatory progress that could help stage a rebound (and with good reason), Novo Nordisk recently made a move that could have a measurable impact on its business over the long run. Here's what investors need to know.
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Harnessing the power of AI
On April 14, Novo Nordisk announced that it had entered into a partnership with OpenAI. The two companies will collaborate to bring cutting-edge artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities to the drug discovery and development process. Currently, it takes a lot of time and money for pharmaceutical companies to go from the first stages of research to commercialization. But AI could change that, at least, that's what Novo Nordisk is hoping for. By analyzing datasets with AI, the company could accelerate drug discovery and bring cheaper medicines to patients more quickly.
Novo Nordisk is also looking to harness the power of AI to improve other aspects of its business, including manufacturing. Of note, Novo Nordisk's CEO, Mike Doustdar, emphasized the importance of unleashing the power of AI to help develop medicines for patients with diabetes and obesity, the two areas where the Denmark-based pharmaceutical giant is a leader. The company has a vast amount of data from clinical trial successes and failures in these niches to feed its AI research program, which could help it develop even better drugs in these fields and solidify its position.
If Novo Nordisk's initiatives work and the company can cut the cost and time to develop drugs by even 5%, that could have a meaningful impact across the entire business. It will mean more money to pour back into R&D, more to return to shareholders, etc.
However, that could take some time to materialize. And in the meantime, Novo Nordisk could face increasingly more competition in diabetes and weight loss. It's also worth noting that Novo Nordisk's biggest rival, Eli Lilly, has built the largest AI supercomputer in the pharmaceutical industry and is doubling down on its efforts to use AI to improve its business.
What does all this mean for Novo Nordisk? Clinical progress should still be the company's most important catalyst over the medium term. Over the next few years, it could release data from clinical trials for products such as amycretin, a potential medicine for diabetes and obesity that is in phase 3 studies in both subcutaneous and oral formulations.
Another promising candidate in the works for Novo Nordisk is UBT251, an investigational weight-loss therapy that mimics the actions of three distinct gut hormones, potentially enhancing its efficacy. Outside of its core area, Novo Nordisk recently posted strong phase 3 study results for Etavopivat, an investigational medicine for sickle cell disease. Novo Nordisk may be going through a rough patch, but the company's leadership in its core area and deep pipeline make the stock a buy at current levels, at least for investors willing to be patient.
Should you buy stock in Novo Nordisk right now?
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Prosper Junior Bakiny has positions in Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk. The Motley Fool recommends Novo Nordisk. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.
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Is This Deal a Game Changer for Novo Nordisk?

Key Points
Eli Lilly is best known for its work in the weight loss market.
The company has billion-dollar drugs in other areas.
The drugmaker continues to expand its pipeline.
Eli Lilly (NYSE: LLY) is currently the leader in the weight loss market. Sales of the company's anti-obesity medicine, Zepbound, are growing fast. It also recently launched Foundayo, an oral GLP-1 drug that should help expand its addressable market. And Eli Lilly has several other highly promising candidates in this field. The projected rapid growth of the weight-loss drug market is a strong reason to consider the stock.
However, investors should keep in mind that other, newer anti-obesity therapies will enter the market. Even if they aren't as good as Eli Lilly's, they will at least disrupt the company's pricing power. Thankfully, Eli Lilly is well equipped to deal with these challenges over the medium term, partly thanks to an underappreciated (in my view) aspect of its business. Here's why Eli Lilly is a buy beyond its current growth pillars.
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Eli Lilly isn't a one-trick pony
Eli Lilly's tirzepatide, the compound marketed as Zepbound and also approved for Type 2 diabetes (where it is sold under the brand name Mounjaro), is setting industry records. It is already one of the best-selling compounds in the world, despite being approved for the first time not that long ago -- in 2022, to be exact. That highlights the strong demand for medicines in this niche, as well as the company's breakthroughs -- tirzepatide was the first dual GLP-1/GIP agonist approved by regulatory authorities. It's only natural that Eli Lilly should focus much of its efforts in this area.
However, the company has other products in its portfolio that, for many other pharmaceutical companies, would be key growth drivers. Consider the company's cancer treatment, Verzenio. Last year, this medicine generated $5.7 billion in sales, representing an 8% year-over-year increase. Taltz, an immunosuppressant, racked up $3.6 billion in sales, 9% higher than the previous fiscal year. Eli Lilly has other, newer products that analysts expect will eventually generate over $1 billion in annual sales. The list includes Ebglyss, an eczema treatment, Jaypirca, a cancer medicine, and Kisunla, a treatment for Alzheimer's disease.
These medicines span three therapeutic areas: Oncology, immunology, and neuroscience. Eli Lilly's ability to develop blockbuster drugs across multiple fields can help mitigate the impact of competition in its core therapeutic areas.
It's important to note that this is exactly what the company's biggest rival, Novo Nordisk, failed at. The Denmark-based pharmaceutical giant once dominated the weight-loss market. But once it lost ground to Eli Lilly, Novo Nordisk's financial results worsened, and its shares fell off a cliff. That's partly because Novo Nordisk generates almost all its revenue from its diabetes or weight-loss products while being far less diversified than Eli Lilly.
Eli Lilly is still diversifying
Eli Lilly has doubled down on its diversification plans in recent years, notably by acquiring smaller biotechs or signing licensing deals. Most recently, the drugmaker announced it would acquire Kelonia Therapeutics, a privately held company, for $3.25 billion in cash, along with potential milestone payments, for a total equity value of up to $7 billion. This acquisition grants Eli Lilly access to Kelonia Therapeutics' innovative gene therapy platform, which has the potential to improve the treatment of some cancers.
This deal also strengthens Eli Lilly's genetic medicine platform, which it has improved in recent years through other acquisitions, including that of Verve Therapeutics in 2025. Meanwhile, the company is expanding its neuroscience pipeline through the acquisition of Centessa Pharmaceuticals -- a drugmaker focused on developing drugs for sleep-wake disorders -- and deepened its oncology pipeline through the buyout of Scorpion Therapeutics.
This list is not exhaustive. What does all of this tell us about Eli Lilly? The company is not only positioned to make more breakthroughs and dominate the weight-loss market even as new drugs start competing with its medicines, but it is also looking to make significant breakthroughs in other fields and drive top-line growth well after its current crop of therapies has lost patent exclusivity. Those are strong reasons to consider the stock.
Should you buy stock in Eli Lilly right now?
Before you buy stock in Eli Lilly, consider this:
The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Eli Lilly wasn’t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years.
Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $498,522!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $1,276,807!*
Now, it’s worth noting Stock Advisor’s total average return is 983% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 200% for the S&P 500. Don't miss the latest top 10 list, available with Stock Advisor, and join an investing community built by individual investors for individual investors.
*Stock Advisor returns as of April 27, 2026.
Prosper Junior Bakiny has positions in Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Centessa Pharmaceuticals Plc. The Motley Fool recommends Novo Nordisk. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Forget Weight Loss Drugs: Here's An Even Better Reason to Invest in Eli Lilly

Eli Lilly and Company LLY will report its first-quarter 2026 earnings on April 30, before market open. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for sales and earnings is pegged at $17.78 billion and $7.26 per share, respectively. Earnings estimates for 2026 have declined from $34.37 per share to $33.59 per share over the past 30 days.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
LLY’s Earnings Surprise History
The healthcare bellwether’s performance has been mixed, with the company exceeding earnings expectations in three of the trailing four quarters while missing in one. It delivered a four-quarter earnings surprise of 7.96%, on average. In the last reported quarter, the company delivered a positive earnings surprise of 7.87%, as seen in the chart below.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
What Does Our Model Say for Lilly?
Lilly has an Earnings ESP of -4.83% and a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Per our proven model, companies with the combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1, #2 (Buy) or #3 have a good chance of delivering an earnings beat. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they’re reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.
Factors Shaping LLY’s Upcoming Results
In the first quarter, like the past few quarters, the key drivers of Lilly’s top-line growth are likely to have been its popular GLP-1 drugs, diabetes drug Mounjaro and obesity drug Zepbound, driven by high demand trends, partially offset by lower pricing.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Mounjaro and Zepbound is pegged at $7.32 billion and $4.02 billion, respectively.
In early April, Lilly gained the much-anticipated FDA approval for its once-daily oral GLP-1 pill Foundayo (orforglipron) for treating obesity. Foundayo shipments began soon after. Rival Novo Nordisk NVO had gained approval for an oral version of its obesity drug, Wegovy, in December 2025 and launched the pill in January 2026. Investors will be keen to know how NVO’s obesity pill affected LLY’s Zepbound market share in the first quarter, as the former enjoyed a first-to-market advantage. Though Foundayo will have no contribution to Lilly’s first-quarter sales, investors will look for updates on the pill’s script trends in the couple of weeks since launch on the first-quarter conference call. Lilly’s shares were down almost 3.7% on Friday as the early prescription numbers for Foundayo were reportedly lower than expected.
Beyond Mounjaro and Zepbound, higher demand and volume growth for Lilly’s key growth drugs like Olumiant and Taltz are likely to have provided top-line support in the first quarter. However, sales of Trulicity are likely to have declined due to competitive dynamics, including patient switches to Mounjaro and lower realized prices.
While volumes are expected to have increased for most drugs, lower realized prices (including U.S. Part D changes) are likely to have continued to hurt sales of most drugs, including Mounjaro and Zepbound.
In the fourth quarter, Verzenio sales are likely to have been hurt due to soft demand trends in the United States, partially offset by higher sales in outside United States markets. Emgality’s sales also declined in the past two quarters. It remains to be seen if its sales improved in the first quarter.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Trulicity, Taltz, Verzenio, Jardiance, Olumiant and Emgality is $899.0 million, $760.0 million, $1.3 billion, $771.0 million, $237.0 million and $127.0 million, respectively.
Newer products like Ebglyss, Jaypirca, Kisunla and Omvoh are likely to have contributed significantly to sales growth. Sales of most of these drugs have been improving sequentially for the past couple of quarters.
Sales of most established drugs like Forteo, Humalog and Humulin are likely to have declined in the quarter.
Higher marketing, selling and administrative expenses to support the launch of new products and indications are likely to have hurt operating profits in the quarter. R&D expenses are also expected to have increased as the company expands its pipeline and plans to initiate more phase III studies in 2026.
Nonetheless, a single quarter’s results are not so important for long-term investors. Let us delve deeper to understand whether to buy, sell or hold Lilly’s stock.
LLY’s Price Performance and Valuation
Lilly’s stock has risen 0.7% in the past year compared with the industry’s increase of 9.6%
LLY Stock Performance
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The stock is trading at a premium to the industry, as seen in the chart below.
LLY Stock Valuation
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Our Investment Thesis on LLY Stock
Lilly boasts a robust portfolio of treatments for diabetes and other cardiometabolic conditions, with its cardiometabolic division emerging as the company’s strongest segment. This success is largely attributed to strong sales of Mounjaro and Zepbound. Despite being on the market for slightly more than three years, Mounjaro and Zepbound have become key top-line drivers for Lilly, with demand rising rapidly. These therapies account for more than 50% of the company’s total revenues.
In addition to Mounjaro and Zepbound, newer drugs, Omvoh, Jaypirca, Ebglyss and Kisunla are also contributing to Lilly’s revenue growth.
Lilly is also developing several next-generation, more powerful and more convenient GLP-1–based treatments, including oral options and multi-acting candidates.
Foundayo can prove to be a commercial game-changer for Lilly. In international markets, Lilly expects to launch orforglipron for obesity during 2027. For the type II diabetes indication, Lilly has filed a regulatory application in the EU and plans to file regulatory applications in the United States and other countries later in 2026.
The company is evaluating another key candidate, triple-acting incretin, retatrutide in type II diabetes and obesity, along with other indications like obstructive sleep apnea, knee osteoarthritis, and chronic low back pain, in late-stage studies. Retatrutide represents a new generation of “triple-action” therapy as it targets three biological pathways — GLP-1, GIP and glucagon — whereas existing medicines mostly act on one or two biological pathways.
In the past couple of years, Lilly upped its efforts to diversify beyond GLP-1 drugs by expanding into cardiovascular, oncology and neuroscience areas. In 2025, it announced several M&A deals, the key being the acquisition of Adverum Biotechnologies in December 2025. So far in 2026, it has already announced four proposed acquisitions — Centessa Pharmaceuticals (CNTA), Kelonia Therapeutics, Orna Therapeutics and Ventyx Biosciences — to expand beyond its GLP-1 franchise. These deals primarily strengthen its pipeline in oncology, neuroscience, immunology, and next-generation platforms like RNA and cell therapy.
Lilly has its share of problems. Prices of most of Lilly’s products have been declining in the United States. Price is expected to continue to be a drag on top-line growth in the low to mid-teens percentage in 2026. Rising competition in the GLP-1 diabetes/obesity market is a key headwind. Also, sales of late-life cycle products like Trulicity, Taltz and Verzenio are expected to be flat to down in 2026.
Stay Invested in LLY’s Stock
Despite its expensive valuation, Lilly is a great stock to have in one’s portfolio, given its significant price appreciation, its product and pipeline portfolio in high-growth therapeutic areas like obesity, robust growth prospects and bullish analyst sentiment.
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Should You Buy, Sell or Hold Lilly Stock Before Q1 Earnings?

Key Points
Although now mature, the weight-loss drug market remains strong and growing.
The top GLP-1 drug competitors were first to market, but not racing to the finish line has given some drug developers more time to develop a more marketable alternative.
One company is likely to provide a major trial update next year, with several bullish interim updates surfacing in the meantime.
It's not unheard of for biopharma stocks to deliver big gains in relatively short periods; the development of a game-changing drug is usually the catalyst. Even by biopharma standards, though, what analysts expect from Viking Therapeutics (NASDAQ: VKTX) over the next 12 months is shockingly bullish. As of the latest look, Wall Street's consensus one-year price target for shares of this weight-loss drug hopeful stands at $93.59. That's more than 170% above the ticker's present price.
What gives? A combination of factors is at work here, not least the stock's subpar performance since last year, when interest in the entire weight-loss drug revolution began cooling, and this particular company arguably stumbled.
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Just be patient. The opportunity is still out there, and Viking is quietly well-positioned to push back against the two current titans of the weight-loss drug market.
The business and underlying science are well established
Those two titans are Novo Nordisk (NYSE: NVO) and Eli Lilly (NYSE: LLY), of course. The former makes Wegovy, while the latter manufactures Zepbound.
Both weekly injectables are based on the same underlying GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1) science, which slows down the digestion of food while simultaneously suppressing appetite. Both pharmaceutical giants now offer an oral form of their weight-loss drug. In other words, a pill, although Lilly's GLP-1-based agonist pill is branded as Foundayo.
And this raises a fair question: How many options does the weight-loss drug market actually need? Or, said another way, how different could Viking's anti-obesity drug VK2735 (currently in phase 3 trials as a weekly injectable) be from the others in this category?
It's different enough to matter.
That's not necessarily easy to see at first blush. Like Wegovy and Zepbound, Viking Therapeutics' VK2735 is also GLP-1-based, but it's a dual agonist that incorporates GIP (glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide) therapy into its weekly injectable dosing. A pill-based form of the same drug is currently in phase 2 testing as well, with phase 3 trials expected to begin next quarter.
Still, there's only so much differentiation that can be achieved using the same basic GLP-1 pathway.
In the pharmaceutical business, though -- when it comes to what people are willing to put in their bodies -- little things can matter in a big way. This is where VK2735 shines.
Viking's offering is different enough
Simply put, Viking's VK2735 enjoys a small but significant competitive edge on Wegovy and Zepbound. That's its tolerability combined with its efficacy in a fairly short period of time.
In trials of its injectable formulation, VK2735 achieved an average weight loss of up to 14.7% in just 13 weeks, outperforming other options already on the market. And importantly, most users were willing and able to stick with the treatment regimen. That's not been the case for Wegovy or Zepbound, though, with nausea and other gastrointestinal problems being reported by users of both, as well as for users of Lilly's Foundayo pills.
Viking Therapeutics hasn't fared quite as well with its orally administered version of VK2735. Like most of its comparable alternatives, its weight-loss pill suffered a relatively -- even surprisingly -- high dropout rate during its phase 2 testing. Roughly one-third of the trial's participants discontinued usage before the end of testing, in fact, upending the stock as a result when that update was released in August of last year.
Even in the wake of that steep sell-off, analysts remained largely optimistic. William Blair's Andy Hsieh called the sell-off "extreme and unwarranted," noting that lower doses of the pill could still prove effective and tolerable as a maintenance dose following the wind-down of weight loss from weekly subcutaneous injections, echoing what Viking Therapeutics' CEO Brian Lian said in the same update. That is, "The experimental maintenance arm of this study provides an encouraging signal that supports our belief that transitioning patients from higher doses, injectable or oral, to low oral doses represents a promising approach to weight maintenance therapy."
In other words, the drug works well enough. The company just needs to figure out the optimal way to get users started on their weight-loss journey and then keep them on board once their target weight has been hit. That's something that hasn't yet been directly clinically tested, but it's a paradigm most of the analyst community seems to believe will take shape, even if only pieced together by the marketplace itself.
Up for grabs is a piece of the anti-obesity drug market that Mordor Intelligence expects to grow from last year's $26 billion to more than $130 billion per year by 2031, as the industry refines its initial GLP-1 offerings and figures out how to best acquire and then retain paying customers.
Proactive rather than reactive
There's still significant risk here, of course, as is the case for any biopharma name that doesn't yet have a revenue-bearing product on the market. Things change. The FDA might end up seeing something nobody else has yet. Consumers might not fully understand why VK2735 could be a better option for them.
Nevertheless, it's telling that the vast majority of the analyst community remains firmly bullish on this admittedly volatile pre-revenue company. Not only is their consensus target price well above the stock's current price, but the vast majority of analysts covering Viking Therapeutics currently consider VKTX a strong buy. This suggests most of them anticipate encouraging Phase 3 trial data sometime next year, putting it on pace for a potential FDA approval no later than 2029.
As veteran investors can attest, however, biopharma stocks have a knack for perking up well before such milestones are met.
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This Obesity Stock Could More Than Double Over the Next 12 Months, According to Wall Street

Key Points
This company is involved in technology, retail, entertainment, medical services, and more.
It could become the go-to destination for individuals seeking GLP-1 treatments.
One particular type of drug has become a household name in recent times, and that's a class known as GLP-1. Originally approved for type 2 diabetes, these drugs also showed strengths in weight loss -- and that led to a surge in off-label prescriptions for this indication. Later, drugmakers won approval of these drugs specifically for weight loss.
Today, Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk dominate the GLP-1 drug market, selling Zebound and Wegovy, respectively. These are injectables, but Lilly and Novo recently earned the regulatory nod for oral drugs -- Lilly now offers Foundayo, while Novo sells oral Wegovy.
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These treatments have generated blockbuster revenue for the companies, and rivals, from biotech Viking Therapeutics to pharma giant Pfizer, are developing candidates and hope to eventually join them in this valuable market -- one forecast to approach $100 billion by the end of the decade. But is it possible that the next potential winner in the GLP-1 market may actually be a tech player? Let's find out.
From e-commerce to publishing
This particular tech company is actually involved in a variety of industries, from e-commerce, publishing, and entertainment to physical grocery stores. I'm talking about Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) -- and one of the company's focuses in recent years has been on carving out a spot in the healthcare industry.
Today, Amazon One Medical and Amazon Pharmacy do just this -- the former offers both virtual and in-person medical appointments, while the latter allows patients to easily order prescriptions online. And now, Amazon is using these strengths to launch a new service that addresses the needs of patients who want to lose weight.
Amazon One Medical just announced a weight management program centered around GLP-1 treatment. The program views obesity as a chronic condition, offering patients a comprehensive offering tailored to their specific needs -- and integrating the weight loss journey into the patient's overall healthcare journey at Amazon One Medical. Patients turn to the service for pre-visit screening, prescriptions, follow-up consultations, and more. And all of this leverages the network Amazon has already built, including in-person and virtual medical care, pharmacy, and fast delivery of prescription drugs.
Through the program, patients can order popular GLP-1 medicines, including the latest launches Foundayo and oral Wegovy. Prices are on par with what is generally available elsewhere, but patients benefit from the convenience of organizing their entire weight loss program through Amazon One Medical -- and existing patients will like the promise of 24/7 prescription renewals. Another plus that may appeal to patients: Amazon says all medications are available for "fast delivery" throughout the U.S., and same-day delivery, now happening in almost 3,000 cities, is set to expand its reach.
How Amazon may benefit from the GLP-1 boom
Now, let's consider our question: Could Amazon be the next big winner in the GLP-1 boom? This will depend on the number of patients who decide to choose Amazon to accompany them on the weight loss path. Amazon generates revenue through Amazon One Medical membership fees, as well as through certain visits and medical and pharmacy services. So its well-developed ecosystem of healthcare services could deliver growth if demand for the weight management program takes off.
There's reason to be optimistic about this program's potential due to the high demand for GLP-1 drugs -- and the fact that, at times, patients have had difficulty accessing these treatments. If Amazon makes it easy and convenient for them, the company may become the go-to destination for many patients.
Of course, given the revenue levels generated by Amazon's biggest profit driver, its cloud computing business, I don't expect GLP-1 drugs to become a massive growth engine for the entire company. Amazon Web Services (AWS), the cloud business, recently reached a $142 billion annual revenue run rate. That said, the weight loss program could become a significant driver for Amazon One Medical's growth -- and make Amazon one of the long-term winners in the growing GLP-1 market.
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The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Is This Tech Giant the Next Potential Winner in the GLP-1 Weight Loss Boom?

Key Points
Foundayo's initial prescription count was notably lower than that of its rival.
This is Eli Lilly's first FDA-approved weight-loss pill.
Doubts about a high-profile new product dampened investor enthusiasm for Eli Lilly (NYSE: LLY) stock on Friday. The giant pharmaceutical company didn't have a good trading session, with sell-offs driving its price down by almost 4% over the course of the day.
Tough pill to swallow?
The product in question is Eli Lilly's Foundayo, the company's first pill approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for weight loss. Hopes were high for the drug, particularly given the success of Zepbound, the obesity treatment administered by injection that's been a hot seller for the company.
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Foundayo might not be destined for similar success. Media reports indicated that the drug's initial sales are comparatively sluggish. Reuters, citing data from Iqvia Holdings provided to stock analysts, wrote that it was prescribed 3,707 times in the work week ended Friday, April 17.
Although that was well up from the 1,390 in the previous week -- its first, following FDA approval -- the numbers pale in comparison to its archrival. This is Novo Nordisk's Wegovy pill, the first-mover orally administered obesity treatment that earned its FDA green light last December. It clocked 18,410 prescriptions in its second week on the market.
Lilly previously said that Foundayo's weekly data might not be comprehensive. It added that the drug's performance might be "best interpreted over time rather than as a complete count."
One product of many
While that might be true, we should remember that Zepbound (also a second mover, following the FDA's historic approval for injectable Wegovy in June 2021) was a hot product out of the gate. So Foundayo's relatively low sales are justifiably concerning, and it's well worth monitoring the drug's trajectory over the coming weeks for signs of improvement.
Having said that, Lilly is a monster of a pharmaceutical company with a dizzying number of products. Yes, it's done well with Zepbound, but it's far from dependent on the closely scrutinized weight loss category. I wouldn't be so discouraged by Foundayo's early numbers, then.
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Eric Volkman has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Iqvia Holdings. The Motley Fool recommends Novo Nordisk. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Why Eli Lilly Stock Flopped on Friday

(RTTNews) - This week's biotech landscape witnessed regulatory approvals across the U.S. and Europe, alongside FDA rejections, acquisitions, and positive data readouts spanning multiple therapeutic areas, including Wilson's Disease, Ovarian cancer and stiff person syndrome.
Let's unpack the specifics.
FDA and EU Approvals & Rejections
Sanofi (SNY) won expanded FDA approval for Tzield?in stage 2 type 1 diabetes, now covering children as young as one year old. The CD-3-directed antibody remains the only therapy to delay progression to stage 3 disease, with the decision supported by the PETITE-T1D Phase 4 study.
SNY closed Thursday's trading (April 24, 2026) at $47.53, up 1.34%.
Royal Philips (PHG)?received U.S. FDA 510(k) clearance for its Rembra platform, including Rembra CT, Rembra RT, and Areta RT system. The technologies aim to expand access to faster, more precise imaging across frontline care and cancer treatment planning, with features such as an 85 cm bore and high-throughput capacity supporting up to 270 exams per day. The clearance strengthens Philips' diagnostic imaging and radiation oncology portfolio.
PHG closed Thursday's trading at $27.63, down 2.16%.
Sanofi (SNY) and Regeneron secured FDA approval for Dupixent?to treat children aged 2-11 with chronic spontaneous urticaria who remain symptomatic and uncontrolled by antihistamines. The decision, based on LIBERTY-CUPID data, expands Dupixent's reach beyond adults and adolescents, marking its ninth approved indication across allergy-related conditions.
SNY closed Thursday's trading at $47.53, up 1.34%.
Alpha Tau Medical Ltd. (DRTS) received FDA approval for an IDE supplement, allowing expansion of its IMPACT pilot study of Alpha DaRT in pancreatic cancer to include patients treated with Gemcitabine with Abraxane. The intratumoral alpha-radiation therapy is now being evaluated alongside both leading first-line chemotherapy regimens, broadening its development path in unresectable and metastatic disease. Enrolment is expected to complete in Q3 2026.
DRTS closed Thursday's trading at $7.98, down 1.24%.
Cipla Wins FDA Nod for the First Generic Ventolin HFA
Cipla Limited (CIPLA) and its U.S. subsidiary received FDA approval for Albuterol Sulfate Inhalation Aerosol, 90 mcg per actuation, the first AB-rated generic of Ventolin HFA. Indicated for bronchospasm?and?exercise induced bronchospasm in patients aged four and older, the approval strengthens Cipla's U.S. respiratory portfolio and expands its leadership in inhalation therapies. The product will be manufactured at Cipla's new inhalation facility in Massachusetts
CIPLA closed Thursday's trading at INR 1,295.00, down 0.83%.
Regeneron Pharmaceuticals (REGN) secured FDA accelerated approval for Otarmeni, the first gene therapy for genetic hearing loss linked to OTOF gene variants. The decision, supported by pivotal CHORD trial data, makes Otarmeni available at no cost to clinically eligible U.S. patients. The therapy uses an adeno-associated virus vector to restore hearing in pediatric and adult patients with severe sensorineural?loss.
REGN closed Thursday's trading at $766.02, up 2.60%.
AbbVie (ABBV) announced it received a Complete Response Letter from the FDA for its Biologics License Application for TrenibotulinumtoxinE (TrenibotE) for the treatment of moderate to severe glabellar lines, citing manufacturing process issues. The agency did not raise safety or efficacy concerns and did not request additional clinical studies. AbbVie plans to submit a comprehensive response in the coming months.
ABBV closed Thursday's trading at $200.95, up 0.22%.
Grace Therapeutics, Inc. (GRCE)?received a Complete Response Letter (CRL) for its NDA of GTx-104, an IV Nimodipine?formulation for aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage (aSAH). The agency cited chemistry, manufacturing, and non-clinical deficiencies, including packaging and toxicology data, but did not question efficacy. Grace plans to resubmit after addressing the issues, supported by Phase 3 STRIVE-ON trial data showing reduced hypotension versus oral Nimodipine.
GRCE closed Thursday's trading at $2.35, down 45.48%.
Deals
Vystar Corporation (VYST) has entered into a binding letter of intent to acquire a 50% interest in R3alm Inc., a compliance-focused AI and Web3 financial ecosystem.
Under the proposed transaction, R3alm would receive approximately 8,500 shares of Vystar Series B preferred stock, and both parties would jointly manage and develop the platform. Closing is expected within 60 days, subject to approval conditions.
VYST closed Thursday's trade at $0.33, up 3.13%.
Eli Lilly and Company (LLY) and Kelonia Therapeutics, Inc., announced a definitive agreement for Lilly to acquire Kelonia and Kelonia shareholders will receive up to $7 billion in cash, including an upfront payment of $3.25 billion and subsequent payments upon achievement of certain clinical, regulatory, and commercial milestones.
The acquisition may expand Lilly's genetic medicine capabilities with in vivo gene delivery and integration technology. The transaction is expected to close in the second half of 2026, subject to conditions.
LLY closed Thursday's trade at $917.65, down 0.42%
QuidelOrtho Corporation (QDEL), a diagnostics company, announced that it has completed the acquisition of LEX Diagnostics, the developer of the FDA-cleared LEX VELO system, for a cash consideration of approximately $100 million.
QuidelOrtho stated that the acquisition of LEX would accelerate growth in its point-of-care molecular diagnostics market, and the company anticipates launching the LEX VELO system in the U.S. later this year, with global expansion planned.
QDEL closed Thursday's trade at $11.24, down 5.55%.
Amneal Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (AMRX), a generic medicine and biosimilar manufacturer, announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Kashiv BioSciences in a transaction that includes $375 million of cash and $375 million of equity payable at closing and up to $350 million in potential regulatory milestones and royalty payments.
The transaction positions Amneal to capitalise on more than $300 billion in global biologic drug sales expected to lose exclusivity over the next decade.
The transaction is expected to close in the second half of 2026, subject to approval conditions.
AMRX closed Thursday's trade at $12.65, down 1.33%.
Genenta Science S.p.A. (GNTA)?has signed a definitive agreement to acquire a controlling stake in Sòphia High Tech S.r.l., a manufacturer of precision mechanical components used in European space and defence programs
As per the agreement terms, Genenta will invest 6.0 million euros in two tranches. The first tranche will give the company a 19.9% stake, while completion of the second tranche will increase ownership to 51%, making Sophia High Tech a majority-owned subsidiary.
GNTA closed Thursday's trade at $0.70, down 1.69%.
Clinical Trials - Breakthroughs & Setbacks
Monopar Therapeutics Inc. (MNPR), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, announced new analyses of promising results from FoCus, a pivotal Phase 3 trial evaluating ALXN1840 (Tiomolibidate choline, TMC), an investigational oral daily treatment for Wilson Disease.
The Phase 3 FoCus trial evaluated the safety and efficacy of ALXN1840 for the treatment of Wilson disease compared with standard-of-care treatments.
ALXN1840 showed rapid and sustained copper mobilisation over 48 weeks, thus meeting its primary endpoint, and also demonstrated a favourable safety and tolerability profile across 645 patient-years of follow-up in 266 patients, with a median follow-up of 2.58 years.
MNPR closed Thursday's trading at $53.24, down 0.11%.
Kyverna Therapeutics, Inc. (KYTX), a late-stage clinical biopharmaceutical company, announced positive primary analysis results from its registrational Phase 2 trial, KYSA-8, of miv-cel (KYV-101), a CD19 CAR T-cell product candidate for stiff person syndrome.
The trial met its primary endpoint, demonstrating a statistically significant improvement in the Timed 25-Foot Walk?(T25FW) at week 16, with a median improvement of 46% from baseline.
The trial met all secondary endpoints, with significant mean improvements in mRS, HAI, DSI, and HSS of -0.8, -1.6, -1.5, and -3.2 points, respectively.
Miv-cel demonstrated a well-tolerated and manageable safety profile.
KYTX closed Thursday's trade at $9.36, up 4.53%.
Zymeworks Inc. (ZYME) presented new Phase 1 data for its folate receptor alpha (FRa)-targeting antibody-drug conjugate (ADC), ZW191, demonstrating encouraging anti-tumour activity in heavily pretreated ovarian and endometrial cancers, with responses observed regardless of FRa expression levels.
In platinum-resistant ovarian cancer, ZW191 achieved a confirmed objective response rate (cORR) of 56% across all dose levels, with tumour regression in 68% of patients and disease control in 94%. At doses of 6.4-9.6 mg/kg, responses were even stronger.
Investigators noted the safety profile was manageable with no unexpected signals.
ZYME closed Thursday's trade at $27.43, down 3.38%.
Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) announced new data from the Phase 3 Vivacity-MG3 study and ongoing open-label extension in a broad population of antibody-positive adults with generalised myasthenia gravis, reinforcing the efficacy, sustained disease control and safety profile of IMAAVY.?
Through 120 weeks of follow-up, IMAAVY delivered sustained clinical improvements and reductions in total IgG in antibody-positive adult patients, including anti-AChR+ and anti-MuSK+.
JNJ closed Thursday's trade at $230.65, up 2.01%.
Novo Nordisk (NVO) has reported positive topline results from the PIONEER TEENS?trial that evaluated oral Semaglutide in 132 children and adolescents aged 10-17 years with type 2 diabetes.
Oral semaglutide demonstrated a superior reduction in HbA1C, a measure of blood sugar control over placebo in the trial and showed a well-tolerated safety profile consistent with previous Novo Nordisk semaglutide trials.
The therapy delivered a statistically significant and superior reduction in blood sugar compared with placebo at 26 weeks, the primary endpoint.
NVO closed Thursday's trade at $38.52, down 1.61%.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Weekly Buzz: SNY, REGN Get FDA Nod; It's A No For ABBV, GRCE; LLY Acquires Kelonia

Incyte Corporation INCY is slated to report first-quarter 2026 earnings on April 28, before the opening bell. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the to-be-reported quarter’s revenues is pegged at $1.23 billion, while the same for earnings is pinned at $1.44 per share.
Let’s see how things might have shaped up before the announcement.
Factors Likely to Influence INCY's Q1 Results
Incyte primarily derives product revenues from the sales of its lead drug, Jakafi (ruxolitinib), in the United States, as well as from the sales of other marketed drugs. Its momentum is likely to have continued on the back of strong Jakafi sales, a first-in-class JAK1/JAK2 inhibitor, in all approved indications (polycythemia vera, myelofibrosis and refractory acute graft-versus-host disease [GvHD]).
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Jakafi's first-quarter sales is pegged at $742.8 million.
Incyte also earns product royalty revenues from Novartis NVS for the commercialization of Jakafi in ex-U.S. markets.
While Incyte markets Jakafi in the United States, Novartis markets the same drug as Jakavi outside the United States. INCY is expected to have received higher royalties from NVS in the to-be-reported quarter due to potentially higher Jakavi sales.
Year to date, Incyte shares have lost 3.4% against the industry’s 1.3% growth.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Incyte also receives royalties from the sales of Tabrecta (capmatinib), which is approved for treating adult patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer. Novartis has exclusive worldwide development and commercialization rights to Tabrecta.
In the to-be-reported quarter, Opzelura sales are expected to have been driven by continued growth in new patient starts and refills in the United States, for both its approved indications, atopic dermatitis and vitiligo.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Opzelura’s first-quarter sales is pegged at $162.9 million.
While Jakafi’s sales and royalties are the key catalysts for Incyte’s revenue growth, sales of other drugs like Minjuvi, Pemazyre and Iclusig, and Olumiant’s royalties from Eli Lilly LLY are also likely to have contributed to Incyte’s top line. INCY has a collaboration agreement with LLY for Olumiant. The drug is a once-daily oral JAK inhibitor discovered by Incyte and licensed to Eli Lilly. It is approved for several types of autoimmune diseases.
In 2024, the company entered into an asset purchase agreement with MorphoSys AG. This gave Incyte exclusive global rights to tafasitamab, a humanized Fc-modified CD19-targeting immunotherapy marketed in the United States (as Monjuvi) and outside the country (as Minjuvi). In 2025, the FDA approved Monjuvi for a new cancer indication. The regulatory body approved Monjuvi in combination with Rituxan (rituximab) and Revlimid (lenalidomide) for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory follicular lymphoma, a type of slow-growing blood cancer. The drug’s label expansion has boosted its sales. Last year, Minjuvi was also approved in the EU and Japan for this new cancer indication.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Iclusig, Minjuvi/Monjuvi and Pemazyre’s first-quarter sales is pegged at $32.9 million, $42.8 million and $22 million, respectively. Incremental sales from Zynyz, too, are expected to have boosted Incyte’s revenues in the to-be-reported quarter.
Incyte and partner Syndax Pharmaceuticals obtained FDA approval for axatilimab-csfr, an anti-CSF-1R antibody, for the treatment of GVHD in adult and pediatric patients weighing at least 40 kg who have failed at least two prior lines of systemic therapy. The candidate was approved under the brand name Niktimvo. The drug is Incyte’s second approved treatment for chronic GvHD (third-line) and was launched in the United States in early 2025. Niktimvo recorded $56 million in sales in the fourth quarter of 2025, up 22% sequentially, driven by strong uptake.
Investors will be keen to get further updates on the ongoing launch activities for Niktimvo and its sales performance during the upcoming earnings announcement.
Higher research and development expenses, as well as increased selling and general and administrative costs, are likely to have escalated operating expenses in the first quarter of 2026.
INCY's Earnings Surprise History
Incyte has a mixed history of earnings surprises. The company beat earnings estimates in three of the trailing four quarters, while missing the same on the remaining occasion, delivering an average surprise of 14.18%. In the last reported quarter, INCY posted a negative earnings surprise of 7.22%.
Earnings Whispers for INCY Stock
Our proven model does not conclusively predict an earnings beat for INCY this time around. The combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) increases the odds of an earnings beat, which is not the case here, as you will see below.
INCY’s Earnings ESP: Incyte’s Earnings ESP is -17.11% as the Most Accurate Estimate currently stands at $1.19, lower than the Zacks Consensus Estimate, which is pegged at $1.44. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they're reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.
INCY’s Zacks Rank: INCY has a Zacks Rank #3 at present.
Incyte Corporation Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise
Stock With a Favorable Combination
Here is a stock worth considering from the healthcare space, as our model shows that this has the right combination of elements to beat on earnings this reporting cycle.
Novo Nordisk NVO has an Earnings ESP of +2.21% and a Zacks Rank #3 at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
Shares of NVO have lost 24.3% year to date. The company’s earnings beat estimates in each of the trailing four quarters, delivering an average surprise of 11.97%. Novo Nordisk is scheduled to reportfirst-quarter results on May 6.
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The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Incyte Gears Up to Report Q1 Earnings: What Can Investors Expect?

Key Points
Agios' price target was lowered due to increased regulatory risk.
Novo Nordisk's etavopivat outperformed Agios' mitapivat in Phase 3 trials.
Agios has a potential pipeline catalyst in 2026 with tebapivat.
Shares in Agios Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: AGIO) crashed by 26.8% in the week as of the time of writing. The move comes after a much larger pharmaceutical company, Novo Nordisk (NYSE: NVO), announced top-line results from a class of drug to treat sickle cell disease (SCD) that implied superiority over Agios' rival drug mitapavit.
Novo Nordisk's latest announcement
Both drugs, Novo's etavopivat and Agios' mitapivat, are in the same class of oral pyruvate kinase (PK) activators that affect red blood cell metabolism in patients with sickle cell disease. However, Novo describes etavopivat as a pyruvate kinase-R (PKR) activator, reflecting that it specifically targets PKR (Protein Kinase R).
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Novo's top-line results from its Phase 3 trial demonstrated that etavopivat met both its primary endpoints of improving hemoglobin response and reducing vaso-occlusive crises (VOCs).
This stands in contrast with the Phase 3 results for mitapivat, which also met its primary endpoint of achieving hemoglobin response, but failed its other primary endpoint of annualized rate of sickle cell pain crises (SCPCs) compared to placebo.
Where next for Agios?
Agios is currently working with the FDA to "achieve alignment" on a mitapivat trial needed for submission under an accelerated approval process. However, the news from Novo casts some doubt on the market potential and regulatory pathway for mitapivat.
That said, Agios may well have another ace up its sleeve in 2026 with another PK activator, tebapivat, which will report results in the second half of the year. Something to look out for.
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Lee Samaha has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends Novo Nordisk. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.