Why Weight-Loss Drug Prices Are Falling

Competition is working, even as the FTC meddles in a takeover fight in a way that helped Pfizer

WSJ editorial. Excerpts:

"Novo Nordisk kicked off the weight-loss race in 2018 with its GLP-1 drug Ozempic. Lilly followed years later with its own GLP-1, which is marketed as Mounjaro for type 2 diabetes and Zepbound for obesity. Lilly’s drug was somewhat more effective than Novo’s in clinical trials and recently became the world’s best-selling medicine.

Lilly isn’t resting on its success. The drug maker plans to launch a weight-loss pill as soon as next year. It is also testing an experimental once-weekly medication that mimics the hormone amylin and carries fewer side effects than its GLP-1s. Lilly said Thursday that patients on the amylin agonist shed 20% of their weight in a mid-stage trial.

Meanwhile, other drug makers are seeking to break into the market."