[Edaily Reporter Kim Saemi] In the oral glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) market—considered the next battleground in the global obesity treatment market—Novo Nordisk is currently dominating the field. Eli Lilly is seeking a turnaround with its next-generation triple-action injectable formulation to make up for the initial slump of its oral obesity drug, Foundayo.

"One Prescription Every 5 Seconds": Wegovy Pill Races Ahead… Foundayo Struggles Early On

According to the biotech industry on the 13th, Novo’s oral obesity treatment, Wegovy Pill, has surpassed 3 million prescriptions just five months after its U.S. launch, demonstrating its first-mover advantage. In contrast, Eli Lilly’s oral GLP-1 drug, Foundayo, has lagged significantly behind Wegovy Pill in initial prescription growth since its U.S. launch last April.

Since its U.S. launch on January 5, Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy Pill has recorded more than 3 million total prescriptions as of the 2nd. This means that in the U.S., Wegovy Pill was prescribed at a rate of approximately one prescription every 5 seconds. Notably, while it took 12 weeks after launch to reach the first 1 million prescriptions, the subsequent 2 million were added in just 10 weeks, indicating that the prescription rate actually accelerated.

Novartis explains that it is particularly significant that more than 80% of new prescriptions were for patients with no prior experience with GLP-1 therapy. This suggests that Wegovy Pill is not merely replacing existing GLP-1 injections but is expanding the market itself by attracting a new patient demographic that had previously been reluctant to use injectable medications.

Lilly’s later-entrant, Foundayo, received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on April 1 and was launched early that same month. While cumulative prescription numbers since launch have not been disclosed, weekly prescriptions in the fourth week totaled 7,335, and prescriptions in the eighth week after launch totaled 17,000. Considering that Wegovy Pill had 74,000 prescriptions during the same eighth week after launch, Novo’s initial prescription growth rate was approximately 4.4 times faster.

The reason Whygobi Pill is so far ahead in the early stages of competition lies in the superiority of its clinical data. According to the Phase 3 (OASIS 4) clinical trial data for Whygobi Pill, the average weight loss rate was 16.6%. In contrast, Foundayo showed an average weight loss of 12.4% at the highest dose in its Phase 3 clinical trial (ATTAIN-1). The discontinuation rate due to adverse events was also higher for Foundayo (5.1–10.3%) than for Wegovy Pill (3.4%). This is why Foundayo is considered to be at a disadvantage compared to Wegovy Pill in terms of both efficacy and tolerability.

In other words, Wegovy Pill has established itself as a potent oral medication by demonstrating weight loss effects comparable to those of the injectable form of Wegovy. Since Foundayo lags behind in terms of weight loss rate and tolerability, it is trying to catch up by emphasizing the convenience of being a low-molecular-weight oral medication that can be taken without food or water restrictions.

Another reason Whygobi Pill is leading the way lies in brand power and accessibility. Whygobi has already established itself as a global blockbuster brand in the injectable market. From the perspective of healthcare providers and patients, it is easy to perceive Whygobi Pill not as a completely new drug, but as an oral version of Whygobi.

In addition, Novo is expanding its distribution network through more than 70,000 pharmacies across the U.S., NovoCare pharmacies, and telemedicine channels. Combined with cost-saving programs for commercially insured patients and the Medicare GLP-1 Bridge program, this has created a favorable environment for expanding initial prescriptions.

Novo Highlights Wegovy Pill at ADA… Lilly Counterattacks with Next-Generation Injectables At

this year’s American Diabetes Association (ADA 2026) conference

,

the contrast between the two companies was clear. While Novo emphasized its first-mover advantage in the current oral weight-loss market by

highlighting Wegovy Pill,

Lilly appeared to be placing greater emphasis on its pipeline of next-generation, high-potency injectables rather than Foundayo.

Novartis prominently highlighted that prescriptions for Wegovy Fil had surpassed 3 million, while also presenting six post-hoc analyses of semaglutide related to cardiometabolic complications. These included: △ a reduced risk of new-onset sleep apnea; △ a reduction in asthma-related adverse events; △ improved blood pressure in patients with uncontrolled hypertension; △ metabolic and hormonal steatohepatitis (MASH); △ improvements in fatty liver markers; and △ improvements in cardiometabolic markers across different body mass index (BMI) ranges. This is interpreted as a strategy to position semaglutide not merely as a weight-loss drug but as a treatment capable of addressing a wide range of obesity-related complications.

At ADA 2026, Lilly highlighted Retatruotide—a next-generation triple-action injectable formulation—over Foundayo. Retatruotide, a triple-action agent targeting the glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), glucagon, and gastric inhibitory peptide (GIP) receptors, demonstrated a maximum weight loss of 28.3% over 80 weeks in Phase 3 trials, and data on improvements in knee osteoarthritis pain and sleep apnea were also presented.

This is interpreted as a strategy to position the drug not merely as a weight-loss medication but as a treatment that simultaneously targets obesity-related complications. It can also be seen as an indication that Lilly intends to maintain its leadership in the next-generation, high-efficacy injectable market following Zepbound, rather than attempting to catch up with Novo in the oral weight-loss drug market in the short term.

Lilly currently leads the field of triple-action agents. Novo is also developing UBT251, a triple-action agent targeting GLP-1, GIP, and glucagon, in collaboration with China’s United Biotech. However, its global development remains in the early stages. In a Chinese Phase 2 clinical trial disclosed last February, UBT251 demonstrated a maximum weight loss of 19.7% over 24 weeks. However, considering that Retatruotide has already reached the stage of disclosing global Phase 3 clinical trial results, there is a significant gap in development speed. Novo did not prominently feature an abstract on UBT251 in its presentations at ADA 2026.

Global Competition in Triple-Action Agents: An Opportunity for Korean DDS Companies?

Some analysts suggest that this global competition in next-generation triple-action agents—which are injectable peptide-based drugs—could present an opportunity

for

Korean

biotech companies

. Oral obesity drugs require gastrointestinal absorption formulation technology, the discovery of small-molecule candidates, and access to large-scale clinical trials, production, and insurance coverage. Consequently, observers note that there is relatively little room for Korean biotech companies to make a significant impact in this area.

For highly potent peptide-based weight-loss drugs—such as Retatruotide or UBT251—that simultaneously target GLP-1, GIP, and glucagon, managing gastrointestinal side effects and ensuring ease of administration are considered key challenges, given their strong weight-loss effects. Consequently, the importance of long-acting drug delivery systems (DDS) that enable dosing intervals of once a month or longer—beyond the current once-weekly formulations—is likely to grow.

In South Korea, companies such as #Peptron, #G2G Bio, and #Inventige Lab—which possess long-acting platforms based on microparticles and injectables—are exploring collaboration opportunities with global pharmaceutical companies in the field of peptide-based obesity drug formulations.

At ADA 2026, Peptron presented data on PT403, a SmartDepot-based once-monthly semaglutide candidate. Peptron is also continuing its platform technology evaluation agreement with Lilly. G2G Bio demonstrated the potential for one-month formulations of dual- and triple-action agents—such as cagrisema, tirzepatide, and retatruotide—using its InnoLAMP platform. Inventige Lab presented data at ADA 2026 on IVL-DrugFluidic platform-based semaglutide once-monthly formulation IVL3021 and long-acting tirzepatide formulation IVL3024.

A biotech industry insider stated, “Since triple-action agents for obesity treatment are highly potent, the key challenges lie in controlling the release rate, suppressing initial over-release, and ensuring tolerability during repeated administration,” adding, “To actually lead to collaboration with global big pharma, the company will need to demonstrate both mass production feasibility and clinical safety.”