CVS Health(CVS) CNBC·2025-05-07 14:24Core Viewpoint - Eli Lilly maintains a strong position in the weight loss market despite recent investor concerns triggered by CVS Health's decision to prioritize Novo Nordisk's Wegovy over Eli Lilly's Zepbound in its formularies [1][4]. Group 1: Market Dynamics - CVS Health's pharmacy benefit manager Caremark will prioritize Wegovy starting July 1, which has raised concerns about a potential price war in the weight loss drug market [2][4]. - Caremark has negotiated a lower net price for Wegovy compared to Zepbound, which could affect Eli Lilly's sales momentum [3][4]. - Wegovy's list price is 1,086, indicating a significant price difference that may influence patient choices [4]. Group 2: Company Performance - Eli Lilly's CEO David Ricks stated that the company is moving away from high list prices and large rebates to PBMs, aiming for more transparent pricing [7]. - Zepbound and Mounjaro account for over half of U.S. GLP-1 prescriptions, outperforming the combined 46% share of Wegovy and Ozempic [8]. - Despite CVS's decision, Zepbound is still growing in market share, and the overall performance of Eli Lilly in the first quarter exceeded estimates due to high demand for Zepbound and Mounjaro [10][11]. Group 3: Analyst Insights - Analysts believe the selloff of Eli Lilly's shares following CVS's announcement was exaggerated, emphasizing that both companies aim to expand patient access rather than engage in a pricing war [5][6]. - The effectiveness of Zepbound in promoting weight loss may lead some patients to seek exemptions to continue their prescriptions despite the formulary change [9]. - Larger employers may still choose to include Zepbound in their customized formularies, mitigating the impact of CVS's decision on Eli Lilly [10].