First-time prescriptions for Eli Lilly's Zepbound surpassed those for Novo Nordisk's Wegovy in early March, according to data cited by Reuters.
For the week ending March 8, 77,590 new prescriptions were filled for Zepbound and about 71,000 were filled for Wegovy. It's the first time Zepbound, a chronic weight management therapy approved in early November and released in December, eclipsed Novo Nordisk's blockbuster weight loss drug.
Total Wegovy prescriptions remained higher than Zepbound, with about 25,000 more total fills during that week. Novo Nordisk's injectable solution recently achieved a cardiovascular indication — the first time the FDA approved an anti-obesity drug for serious heart problems.
On March 13, Eli Lilly and Amazon Pharmacy partnered to offer more delivery options for select medications, including Zepbound and drugs approved for obesity, diabetes and migraines.
Wegovy is a glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist, and Zepbound is a dual GLP-1 and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide receptor agonist. By 2030, the market for their drug classes is expected to reach $100 billion — 16 times more than its current worth.