Novo Nordisk's (NYSE:NVO) oral GLP-1 weight-loss drug Wegovy pill continues to outsell Eli Lilly's recently launched competing tablet, but weekly prescription growth is slowing as the market absorbs a new entrant, according to the latest tracking data.
GLP-1, or glucagon-like peptide-1, refers to a class of drugs that mimic a gut hormone to suppress appetite and regulate blood sugar, and has become the most hotly contested space in global pharmaceuticals.
Wegovy pill recorded around 146,000 total prescriptions in the week ending 22 May, its twentieth week on the market, representing growth of 2% week-on-week, with the four-week rolling average also running at 2%, a deceleration from earlier in the launch.
The drug is running at approximately 2.4 times the prescription volume that Lilly's injectable Zepbound achieved at the same stage of its own launch, based on IQVIA data, though the figures do not fully capture the direct-to-patient cash-pay channel.
Within the Wegovy pill prescription mix, the lowest 1.5mg dose fell 3% week-on-week, with higher doses accounting for a growing share of total sales, suggesting patients are titrating upward as expected.
Lilly's oral GLP-1 rival Foundayo, which launched on 9 April, recorded around 16,000 prescriptions in its sixth full week on the market, compared with around 57,000 for Wegovy pill at the equivalent point in its launch.
Citi cautioned it remains early for Foundayo, with television direct-to-consumer advertising not scheduled to begin until the third quarter, meaning the competitive picture could shift materially once Lilly's marketing campaign launches.