Eli Lilly raises full-year profit forecast on weight loss drug strength

A sign for Eli Lilly & Co. appears outside their corporate headquarters in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings, File)

Eli Lilly raised its full-year profit forecast on Thursday, betting on surging demand for its blockbuster weight-loss drug, Zepbound, as it targets new markets and looks to seize more share from Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy.

The company now expects to earn US$21.75 to $23 per share on an adjusted basis this year, compared to its previous forecast of $20.78 to $22.28 per share profit.

Analysts were expecting a profit of $21.74 per share for 2025, according to data compiled by LSEG.

(Reporting by Bhanvi Satija in Bengaluru and Patrick Wingrove in New York; Editing by Anil D’Silva)