Prediction: Eli Lilly Will Reach $1,200 in 2026
Written by Jeff Siegel for The Motley Fool -> Eli Lilly now controls roughly 60% of the GLP-1 market. International growth could become Lilly's next major catalyst. The GLP-1 franchise could reach $70 billion annually. Eli Lilly (NYSE: LLY) doesn't need a perfect year to reac
International growth could become Lilly's next major catalyst.
Eli Lilly (NYSE: LLY) doesn't need a perfect year to reach $1,200 in 2026. It does, however, need to maintain its continued dominance in the rapidly growing market for obesity and diabetes drugs -- and that's exactly how things are playing out. Let's see why investors should remain upbeat on Eli Lilly.
Lilly's GLP-1 franchise , led by Mounjaro and Zepbound, continues to generate extraordinary growth. During the first quarter of 2026, Lilly reported nearly $13 billion in combined quarterly revenue from the two drugs. That's not trivial, especially when you consider that the bull case for Lilly increasingly revolves around the future size of the obesity market.
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Recent prescription data suggest that Lilly now controls roughly 60% of the U.S. GLP-1 market,a remarkable achievement considering Novo Nordisk 's early lead with Ozempic and Wegovy.
While the market has long been focused primarily on domestic prescription trends, international markets could ultimately become just as important. Obesity rates continue rising globally, and many countries are only beginning to expand access to GLP-1 therapies.
Mounjaro has already launched across much of Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Latin America. International sales of Lilly's incretin medicines (drugs that help patients lose weight and control blood sugar) have been growing significantly faster than the broader pharmaceutical market, too. In Q1 2026, revenue outside the U.S. increased 81% year over year to $7.7 billion.
Europe, for instance, remains one of the biggest opportunities. Germany could soon become one of Lilly's fastest-growing obesity markets, and France recently became the first major E.U. country to approve reimbursement for obesity treatments. Meanwhile, demand continues growing in China, Japan, and several Middle Eastern countries, where obesity and diabetes rates remain elevated.
