Eli Lilly Becomes First Drugmaker to Reach US$1 Trillion in Value

Eli Lilly reached a US$1 trillion market value on Friday, becoming the first pharmaceutical company to join a group largely occupied by technology firms. The milestone reflects sustained investor confidence in the company’s position in the fast-growing obesity-drug market and its broader pipeline strategy.

The company’s valuation has accelerated in recent years as demand for new weight-management therapies expanded, reports El Economista. Lilly’s obesity portfolio has driven a significant portion of this momentum, supported by clinical results and market adoption across several segments. The company is also advancing additional metabolic treatments that are expected to shape its performance in the near term.

Investor attention is now centered on Lilly’s oral obesity candidate, orforglipron, which is anticipated to receive regulatory approval early next year. Lilly’s orforglipron is set to be among the first oral anti-obesity medications to reach the market, potentially alongside oral semaglutide. As the first small-molecule therapy in this category, it offers advantages in manufacturing efficiency and enables faster scaling of production. Analysts suggest that approval of the therapy could reinforce Lilly’s position in a category projected to grow rapidly over the next decade.

“The company is exploring alternative methods of administering GLP-1 medications beyond injectables, with the goal of achieving scalable production to reach a wider population,” explained Karla Alcazar, President and General Manager, Lilly Latin America, during Mexico Health Summit 2025.

Lilly’s entry into the trillion-dollar valuation range marks a shift in market dynamics, highlighting the increasing financial weight of the global obesity-drug sector. While the company remains focused on regulatory progress and production capacity for its metabolic portfolio, investors continue monitoring clinical data milestones, supply expansion plans and competitive developments in the space, reports Reuters.

For Lilly, Mexico represents one of the most crucial countries in the region, as it accounts for 80% of its Latin America business along with Brazil, explains Alcázar to MBN. “We aim to achieve double-digit growth and launch two innovative products per year. The company's commitment in Mexico is substantial, not only at the regional level but also on a global scale. In some therapeutic areas, Mexico ranks in Eli Lilly’s Top 10 worldwide,” says Alcázar. 

Obesity Drug Market 

In 2024, more than 1 billion people worldwide were living with obesity, including 880 million adults and 159 million children and adolescents, according to the World Obesity Federation. In Mexico, the condition continues to represent a major public health challenge. A study analyzing data from the National Health and Nutrition Survey (ENSANUT) Continua 2020-2023 reveals that 37.1% of Mexican adults are obese. 

The growing number of people living with obesity has intensified the demand for new treatment options. GLP-1 receptor agonists, originally created for Type 2 diabetes, have demonstrated significant weight-loss effects and reshaped the field of obesity care, prompting increased investment and research in this area. 

This momentum has also intensified competition among pharmaceutical companies seeking to expand their presence in the fast-growing obesity and cardiometabolic market. Recently, Pfizer escalated a legal and regulatory dispute with Novo Nordisk and Metsera after Metsera labeled Novo Nordisk’s revised acquisition proposal as superior to Pfizer’s existing merger agreement, reports MBN.