TLDR
- Eli Lilly has stockpiled $1.5 billion worth of Orforglipron, its upcoming weight-loss pill, ahead of expected FDA approval in April 2026
- The inventory buildup aims to prevent supply shortages that plagued Zepbound and Mounjaro launches in 2022, when unprecedented demand drove patients to compounded alternatives
- Novo Nordisk’s oral Wegovy pill launched in January 2026 with 50,000 prescriptions by month’s end, giving the Danish drugmaker a first-mover advantage
- GlobalData forecasts Orforglipron could generate $13 billion in sales by 2031 if approved
- Eli Lilly is investing $27 billion in four new U.S. manufacturing facilities, with at least three dedicated to weight-loss drug production
Eli Lilly has assembled $1.5 billion worth of pre-launch inventory for Orforglipron, its experimental weight-loss pill. The massive stockpile appears in the company’s 2025 annual report published in February 2026.
The FDA is expected to rule on Orforglipron in April 2026. Eli Lilly received a Commissioner’s National Priority Review Voucher to speed up the approval process.
The inventory strategy marks a sharp departure from the company’s previous GLP-1 drug launches. In 2022, Eli Lilly faced widespread shortages of injectable weight-loss drugs Zepbound and Mounjaro. Unprecedented demand caught the company off guard.
Patients unable to find branded products turned to compounded alternatives. This shift cost Eli Lilly substantial revenue. The company didn’t resolve the shortages until late 2024.
Eli Lilly executives have already announced plans for a large-scale marketing campaign this summer. The timing will coincide with Orforglipron shipments once FDA approval comes through.
Racing Against Novo Nordisk
Novo Nordisk beat Eli Lilly to market with oral Wegovy, the first FDA-approved oral GLP-1 weight-loss pill. The Danish drugmaker received approval in December 2025 and launched in January 2026.
Early sales data shows strong patient interest in the pill format. Novo Nordisk reported 50,000 prescriptions by the end of January 2026. UBS analysts project 400,000 prescriptions in Q1 2026 alone.
The once-daily pill format appeals to patients who prefer not to take injections. Current weight-loss drugs like Zepbound require weekly injections. Pills eliminate needle anxiety for many consumers.
Eli Lilly’s substantial inventory should help it compete once Orforglipron hits pharmacies. GlobalData analyst Shehroz Mahmood says the stockpile “signals management’s confidence in regulatory approval and their determination to execute a robust global launch.”
Massive Sales Projections Drive Strategy
GlobalData forecasts Orforglipron could reach $13 billion in annual sales by 2031. That projection assumes FDA approval and successful commercialization.
The company has been building Orforglipron inventory for over a year. In February 2025, Eli Lilly reported nearly $550 million worth of the drug already manufactured.
Orforglipron demonstrated positive results in clinical trials. The once-daily oral medication represents part of an industry-wide shift toward treatment flexibility in obesity care.
Eli Lilly reported 45% revenue growth in 2025, driven primarily by its weight-loss drug portfolio. Zepbound generated $13.5 billion in sales. Mounjaro brought in $23 billion.
The company is investing $27 billion in four new U.S. manufacturing facilities. At least three will produce weight-loss therapies including Orforglipron. Eli Lilly announced the final facility earlier this month.
Mahmood notes that while Novo Nordisk has a first-mover advantage, “it remains to be seen whether Eli Lilly can yet again take the spotlight, as it did in the competition for injectable therapies.”
The $1.5 billion inventory represents most of Eli Lilly’s total pre-launch drug stockpile disclosed in its 2025 annual report.
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