Novo Nordisk A/S’s blockbuster weight-loss drug Wegovy received Food and Drug Administration approval to treat a serious form of liver disease, beating rival Eli Lilly & Co. to the US market for the increasingly prevalent condition.

Eli Lilly on Thursday released data for its daily obesity pill, orforglipron, which found the medication helped obese or overweight patients without diabetes lose just over 12% of their body weight in a late-stage trial, behind analyst expectations of 15%, according to FactSet.

Novo Nordisk A/S’s weight-loss drug Wegovy has received FDA approval to treat a serious form of liver disease, giving the company a first-mover advantage over rival Eli Lilly & Co. in the US market. The drug is cleared for adults with metabolic-associated

Eli Lilly said on Thursday that its experimental GLP-1 pill helped patients lose 12.4% of their body weight after 72 weeks in a late-stage study, less than previous trial results for Novo Nordisk's injectable obesity treatment Wegovy.

Lilly's weight-loss medications Mounjaro and Zepbound are gaining market share on Novo's Wegovy and Ozempic, but investors remain unconvinced.

The FDA says shortages of GLP-1s are over, but many patients are still getting what are essentially copied medications.

Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk introduced its weight-loss drug Wegovy in South Africa on Thursday, marking its debut in Africa and stepping up competition with Eli Lilly's Mounjaro which launched in the country eight months ago.

Lilly will receive exclusive rights to develop and commercialize drug candidates discovered using Superluminal's AI-driven platform.

A UK government and Eli Lilly £85 million program will expand obesity care nationwide, offering digital, community, and pharmacy-based services by summer 2026.