Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly Intensify Competition in Obesity Treatment Market

In a rapidly evolving landscape of obesity treatments, pharmaceutical giants Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly are making strategic moves to secure their positions at the forefront of the market. Recent developments, unveiled at the 2025 European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) conference, highlight the intensifying competition between these industry leaders.

Novo Nordisk Advances High-Dose Wegovy

Novo Nordisk is poised to submit a regulatory application for a high-dose formulation of its popular weight-loss drug Wegovy in the United States. This announcement, made by the company's chief scientific officer Martin Holst Lange at the EASD conference, follows a similar application filed in Europe in July.

The high-dose Wegovy, at 7.2 mg, has demonstrated superior efficacy compared to the current 2.4 mg dose. In the Phase IIIb STEP UP study, which enrolled over 1,400 patients with obesity but without diabetes, the higher dose achieved an 18.7% reduction in body weight at 72 weeks, surpassing the 15.6% weight loss observed with the standard dose.

Updated data presented at the 2025 American Diabetes Association meeting reaffirmed these findings, with the higher-dose injection maintaining numerical superiority. Notably, Novo Nordisk reported a "well-tolerated safety profile" for the high-dose formulation, with adverse events consistent with those known for Wegovy and the broader GLP-1 class.

Eli Lilly's Strategic Moves in Oral Obesity Treatment

Not to be outdone, Eli Lilly is making strides with its investigational oral obesity drug, orforglipron. Industry analysts suggest that this medication could potentially qualify for the FDA's recently launched Commissioner's Priority Voucher program. This initiative aims to expedite drug reviews to just one to two months, particularly focusing on treatments aligned with U.S. national policy priorities.

Citing a note from Jefferies, Reuters reported that "orforglipron is a prime candidate for this pilot program as it treats a high-burden chronic condition and can be priced at parity." While Eli Lilly acknowledges the promise of the FDA's priority program, the company maintains that it is "too early" to determine how the commissioner's voucher will apply to its specific programs.

Market Implications and Corporate Strategies

The obesity treatment market has become increasingly competitive, with both Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly vying for dominance. Novo Nordisk's pursuit of a higher-dose Wegovy formulation is seen as a strategic move to regain ground against Eli Lilly's Zepbound, which some analysts believe has outperformed Novo in the market.

This competitive landscape has led to significant corporate changes at Novo Nordisk, including the replacement of former CEO Lars Fruergaard Jørgensen with Maziar Mike Doustdar. As the company's new leader and former executive vice president of internal operations, Doustdar has expressed a commitment to focusing on execution in this critical market.

As these pharmaceutical giants continue to innovate and expand their obesity treatment portfolios, the industry can expect further developments and intensified competition in the coming months. The potential for expedited regulatory pathways and the introduction of new, more effective formulations signals a dynamic future for obesity treatments, with significant implications for patients and healthcare providers alike.