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Eli Lilly’s newly launched oral obesity pill Foundayo recorded 3,707 U.S. prescriptions in the week ended April 17, up from 1,390 in its shortened debut week, according to IQVIA data cited by analysts on April 24.
That compares with Novo Nordisk’s oral Wegovy, which logged about 18,410 prescriptions in its first full week after launching in January and 3,071 in the first four days of its rollout.
Investors reacted to the gap: Lilly shares fell roughly 4% while U.S.-listed Novo shares rose about 6%. Analysts noted Foundayo’s second-week uptake was “modest,” pointing to Novo’s first-mover advantage, stronger brand recognition and earlier time-to-market.
Lilly began accepting prescriptions on April 1, shipped the first orders on April 6 and widened retail and telehealth availability from April 9; the company cautioned early weekly figures may not capture all channels.
Market watchers said weeks eight to 12 will be more telling for commercial momentum as distribution and payer access expand.







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