Core Insights - The global obesity market is primarily dominated by Eli Lilly (LLY) and Novo Nordisk (NVO), with LLY's Zepbound and NVO's Wegovy as leading GLP-1 injectable therapies. Zepbound has shown rapid sales growth, surpassing Wegovy in weight-loss efficacy in clinical studies [1][3] - In the first half of 2025, Zepbound generated $5.69 billion in revenues, prompting LLY to raise its full-year sales guidance to $60-$62 billion. In contrast, Wegovy recorded $5.41 billion in sales during the same period, leading Novo Nordisk to revise its sales outlook downward due to increased competition [2][8] - LLY faced a setback with its oral GLP-1 candidate, orforglipron, which did not meet investor expectations in weight-loss efficacy, resulting in an 18.6% decline in LLY shares. This has shifted market confidence towards Novo Nordisk, which saw a 4.7% increase in its stock [3][4] Company Performance - LLY's stock has underperformed, losing 19% year-to-date compared to an 8.3% decline in the industry. The stock is trading at a price/earnings ratio of 22.85, higher than the industry average of 13.71, but below its five-year mean of 34.54 [7][11] - Estimates for LLY's 2025 earnings have improved from $21.92 to $22.11 per share, while estimates for 2026 earnings have slightly declined from $30.84 to $30.74 [16] Market Developments - The setback with orforglipron has shifted focus towards oral obesity treatment options, which could enhance patient adherence. Novo Nordisk is seeking FDA approval for a 25 mg oral semaglutide, with a decision expected by year-end [5][8] - Other companies, such as Viking Therapeutics, are also advancing in the development of GLP-1-based obesity treatments, with ongoing studies for their investigational drug VK2735 [6]