By Leah Douglas and Christy Santhosh
April 1 (Reuters) - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday approved Eli Lilly's weight-loss pill, making it the second to market after Novo Nordisk's oral Wegovy, as the companies fight to capture more customers with the convenience of pills over injectables.
The Lilly drug, orforglipron, which will be sold under the brand name Foundayo, is a once-daily oral medication designed to mimic the appetite-suppressing GLP-1 hormone targeted by the company's
blockbuster injection tirzepatide, sold as Mounjaro for diabetes and Zepbound for weight loss.
Lilly said the drug will be available for shipping beginning April 6 through its LillyDirect program and cost $149 per month for the lowest dose for self-pay customers, on par with Novo's pill. Soon after, it will be available through retail pharmacies and telehealth providers, the Indianapolis-based company said.
The approval gives Lilly solid footing in the emerging obesity-pill market after overtaking Novo Nordisk in the injectable weight-loss market.
The Danish drugmaker was first-to-market with GLP-1 medicines Ozempic for diabetes and Wegovy for obesity, but has fallen behind amid intense competition from Lilly and pressure from compounded versions of the medicines.
(Reporting by Leah Douglas in Washington and Christy Santhosh in Bengaluru; Editing by Bill Berkrot)
