Eli Lilly Becomes the First Health-Care Company to Hit $1 Trillion
Eli Lilly has officially joined one of the most exclusive clubs in global markets, becoming the first health-care company in history to reach a $1 trillion valuation. Shares briefly crossed the milestone on Friday before settling slightly lower, still trading near record highs around $1,048.
Lilly is now one of only two non-tech U.S. companies to ever reach this valuation threshold, following Berkshire Hathaway. The move caps a year of powerful momentum driven almost entirely by the company’s dominant position in the GLP-1 weight-loss and diabetes drug market.
Zepbound and Mounjaro Power Historic Revenue Growth
Demand for Lilly’s GLP-1 therapies — Zepbound for weight loss and Mounjaro for diabetes — continues to reshape the company’s financial profile and the broader pharmaceutical landscape.
Recent quarterly results highlight how explosive the trend has become:
- Mounjaro revenue: $6.52B, up 109% year over year
- Zepbound revenue: $3.59B, up 184% year over year
Lilly expects demand to accelerate as more insurers expand coverage, new indications roll out, and an oral version of its GLP-1 therapy reaches the market — a move that could meaningfully expand patient access while simplifying production.
Analysts estimate the global GLP-1 market could surpass $150 billion annually by the early 2030s. Lilly’s scale, distribution network, and early clinical leads make it the category’s most powerful player heading into the next decade.
Competitive Pressure Remains — but Lilly Holds the Advantage
Novo Nordisk remains Lilly’s strongest rival, even as it works through leadership changes and capacity constraints. Pfizer has also re-entered the race with its $10B acquisition of obesity-drug developer Metsera.
Even so, Lilly maintains clear near-term leadership due to:
- Multi-hormone mechanism (GLP-1 + GIP), offering broader metabolic benefits
- Strong manufacturing ramp and supply chain investments
- Multiple next-generation obesity and diabetes therapies advancing through trials
The GLP-1 Breakthrough That Redefined Eli Lilly
Lilly’s transformation accelerated in 2022 when tirzepatide — the active ingredient in Mounjaro and Zepbound — won FDA approval for diabetes. Its dual-hormone approach separated it from semaglutide, the GLP-1-only therapy behind Ozempic and Wegovy.
By 2024, the numbers told the story:
- Mounjaro full-year sales: $11.54B
- Zepbound full-year sales: $4.93B
For a company founded in 1876 and known for insulin, Prozac, and early vaccine development, tirzepatide marks one of the most commercially successful drug launches in history.
WSA Take
Lilly’s climb to a $1 trillion valuation is more than a milestone — it’s a signal of how large the global metabolic-health market has become. GLP-1 drugs are reshaping the pharmaceutical landscape, consumer behavior, and even food and retail sectors. Lilly sits at the center of that shift with the strongest growth profile among major health-care players.
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