Novo Nordisk May Be Poised to Outpace Eli Lilly With This Key Catalyst

Key Points Novo Nordisk launched its Wegovy pill in early 2026, with Eli Lilly quickly following with a pill called Foundayo. Novo Nordisk's pill has been very well received, while Eli Lilly's pill has been slower to gain traction. 10 stocks we like better than Novo Nordisk › Novo Nordisk (NYSE: NVO) was the first company to produce a GLP-1 weight-loss shot. Technically, the shot was meant for diabetics, but its ability to help people lose weight hit home with more than just diabetics. The drugmaker couldn't keep up with demand, creating an opportunity for Eli Lilly (NYSE: LLY) , which was second to market with GLP-1 shots. When Eli Lilly's drugs appeared to be more effective, it quickly took the lead in the new weight-loss niche. The two companies are competing for market share again, but this time, Novo Nordisk could have the edge. Here's why. What's in the pill? Novo Nordisk's GLP-1 drug is known as either Wegovy or Ozempic. They are the same compound, just targeted at different things: one is meant for diabetics, and the other for those looking to lose weight. Eli Lilly's GLP-1 shot is broken up similarly, with the brand names Mounjaro and Zepbound. Missed Nvidia in 2009? This Rare Signal Is Flashing Again. In 2009, a "Double Down" signal flashed for a little-known chipmaker called Nvidia. For the first time in years, that same "Total Conviction" signal is flashing for a company 1/100th the size of Nvidia. Continue » Image source: Getty Images. But when it comes to GLP-1 pills, there's an important difference. Novo Nordisk's pill is just Wegovy, which is a well-known drug at this point. Eli Lilly's pill is a new formulation called Foundayo, which means doctors and patients can't just look to Mounjaro and Zepbound for a therapeutic comparison when making a prescription decision. Simply put, it could be easier for a doctor to prescribe Novo Nordisk's GLP-1 pill. People like pills more than shots Very few people enjoy taking shots, so the pill version of GLP-1 drugs is likely to be where the greatest demand comes from. Novo Nordisk's Wegovy pill has seen early demand that is much larger than what it saw for its shots. Comparing the uptake of Novo Nordisk's pill to that of Eli Lilly's pill, it appears that demand for Novo Nordisk's pill is much greater. In fact, Novo Nordisk is happily telling investors that its Wegovy pill "is the strongest US GLP-1 volume launch to-date." To be fair, weight loss is a huge addressable market. There is likely to be room for more than one GLP-1 drug. But Novo Nordisk's early lead with the Wegovy pill could be the catalyst that it needs to get back in the game. And it seems unlikely that the pharma giant will repeat the missteps (notably inadequate production capacity) that led it to lose the lead with its GLP-1 shot. When Wall Street starts to see the success of the Wegovy pill show up in the company's earnings, it may afford Novo Nordisk, with a price-to-earnings ratio of around 11x, a valuation more in line with that of Eli Lilly, which has a P/E ratio of 37x. Should you buy stock in Novo Nordisk right now? Before you buy stock in Novo Nordisk, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Novo Nordisk wasn’t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $417,413 !* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $1,341,294 !* Now, it’s worth noting Stock Advisor’s total average return is 950 % — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 212% for the S&P 500. Don't miss the latest top 10 list, available with Stock Advisor , and join an investing community built by individual investors for individual investors. See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of September 13, 2026. Reuben Gregg Brewer has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy .

Novo Nordisk launched its Wegovy pill in early 2026, with Eli Lilly quickly following with a pill called Foundayo.

Novo Nordisk's pill has been very well received, while Eli Lilly's pill has been slower to gain traction.

Novo Nordisk (NYSE: NVO) was the first company to produce a GLP-1 weight-loss shot. Technically, the shot was meant for diabetics, but its ability to help people lose weight hit home with more than just diabetics. The drugmaker couldn't keep up with demand, creating an opportunity for Eli Lilly (NYSE: LLY) , which was second to market with GLP-1 shots. When Eli Lilly's drugs appeared to be more effective, it quickly took the lead in the new weight-loss niche. The two companies are competing for market share again, but this time, Novo Nordisk could have the edge. Here's why.

Novo Nordisk's GLP-1 drug is known as either Wegovy or Ozempic. They are the same compound, just targeted at different things: one is meant for diabetics, and the other for those looking to lose weight. Eli Lilly's GLP-1 shot is broken up similarly, with the brand names Mounjaro and Zepbound.

Missed Nvidia in 2009? This Rare Signal Is Flashing Again. In 2009, a "Double Down" signal flashed for a little-known chipmaker called Nvidia. For the first time in years, that same "Total Conviction" signal is flashing for a company 1/100th the size of Nvidia. Continue »

But when it comes to GLP-1 pills, there's an important difference. Novo Nordisk's pill is just Wegovy, which is a well-known drug at this point. Eli Lilly's pill is a new formulation called Foundayo, which means doctors and patients can't just look to Mounjaro and Zepbound for a therapeutic comparison when making a prescription decision. Simply put, it could be easier for a doctor to prescribe Novo Nordisk's GLP-1 pill.

Very few people enjoy taking shots, so the pill version of GLP-1 drugs is likely to be where the greatest demand comes from. Novo Nordisk's Wegovy pill has seen early demand that is much larger than what it saw for its shots. Comparing the uptake of Novo Nordisk's pill to that of Eli Lilly's pill, it appears that demand for Novo Nordisk's pill is much greater. In fact, Novo Nordisk is happily telling investors that its Wegovy pill "is the strongest US GLP-1 volume launch to-date."