A Monthly Weight Loss Shot? Why Pfizer Could Topple Lilly's and Novo's GLP-1 Duopoly

1 week ago 8

James Brumley, The Motley Fool

Tue, April 21, 2026 astatine 6:50 AM CDT 5 min read

You astir apt already cognize that pharmaceutical powerhouses Novo Nordisk (NYSE: NVO) and Eli Lilly (NYSE: LLY) predominate the anti-obesity cause market, and successful fact, mostly invented the concern arsenic we cognize it today.

Ozempic -- Novo's marque sanction for semaglutide -- has been astir since 2017 arsenic a diabetes treatment, but successful mid-2021, the FDA archetypal approved Novo's play injectable Wegovy (also semaglutide) specifically for value loss. Then, the FDA's 2023 support of Lilly's Zepbound (or tirzepatide, which is the progressive constituent successful diabetes attraction Mounjaro) made the value nonaccomplishment marketplace a two-horse race.

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Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly person since accrued their marketplace shares by gaining approvals for variants of their respective GLP-1 drugs -- similar oral pills. Precedence Research expects this abstraction to turn astatine an mean yearly gait of astir 25% done 2035, truthful it's not astonishing that caller competitors are emerging for a wound astatine this proven nett opportunity.

Enter Pfizer (NYSE: PFE): which is catching up quickly. Earlier this year, the pharma institution confirmed that its GLP-1 focused drug, presently conscionable called PF-08653944, is performing precise good successful Phase 2b trials. Specifically, the survey shows that by week 28 of an intended 64-week debased and mean dose attraction regimen, value nonaccomplishment of betwixt 10% and 12% was the norm.

A idiosyncratic   opens a GLP-1 shot

(Image Source: Getty Images)

The results successful and of themselves are conscionable OK -- much oregon little successful enactment with akin GLP-1-based alternatives. There's an important item to adhd here, however. That is, successful opposition with Novo Nordisk's Wegovy and Eli Lilly's Zepbound, PF'3944 lone requires monthly alternatively than play subcutaneous injections to execute comparable value loss.

The communal play dosing cadence is much of a stumbling artifact than you mightiness imagine. At slightest fractional -- and up to two-thirds -- of GLP-1 cause users discontinue them wrong a year, with outgo often cited arsenic the reason. Although it's excessively soon to cognize however Pfizer's PF'3944 mightiness beryllium priced (if approved), with less full doses needed, it could beryllium to beryllium a much affordable alternate to Wegovy oregon Zepbound.

Cheaper alternatives are already taking their toll connected the archetypal movers. Total prescriptions for Wegovy, portion up for each of 2025, did diminution earlier the extremity of 2025 contempt the terms driblet for self-pay users successful November.

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