Name: Patient preference is leaning towards Eli Lilly's weight loss drugs, says Guggenheim's Fernandez
Uploaded: 2026-02-04T22:46:57+00:00
Duration: 260 s

Speakers

Seamus Fernandez — Managing Director and Pharma Analyst, Guggenheim

Brian Sullivan — Anchor, CNBC (Last Call / Power Lunch)

Summary

Seamus Fernandez of Guggenheim discussed the GLP-1 weight-loss drug competition between Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk on CNBC's Power Lunch. He said the market is expanding rapidly rather than just shifting, with patient and physician preference currently leaning toward Lilly's Mounjaro and Zepbound. However, he sees Novo's new Wegovy pill as having a runway to recoup some market share before Lilly's oral GLP-1 is approved, expected in the second quarter. Fernandez also highlighted Lilly's leadership, accelerating pipeline, and patent runway into the late 2030s.

GLP-1 market is expanding rather than just shifting share.
Patient and physician preference leans toward Lilly's Mounjaro and Zepbound.
LillyDirect has one million patients, only part of the market.
Novo's Wegovy pill may recoup share before Lilly's oral GLP-1 approval.
Novo reports 130,000 patients on Wegovy pill, with cash-pay channels driving availability.
Fernandez says Lilly has leadership, accelerating pipeline, and patent runway into the late 2030s.
Brian Sullivan recapped Dave Ricks' interview on Lilly's growth, margins, and market cap.

Ideas

Seamus Fernandez Managing Director and Pharma Analyst, Guggenheim 0:51

Lilly leads expanding GLP-1 market.

Eli Lilly has established a leadership position in the expanding GLP-1 weight-loss and diabetes market. Patient and physician preference is leaning toward Mounjaro and Zepbound because of greater weight loss, convenient weekly injection, and satisfaction after a single titration step. LillyDirect already has one million patients, and Lilly has an accelerating pipeline, an incredible patent-estate runway into the late 2030s, and a flywheel of incremental product launches satisfying other market segments.

Seamus Fernandez Managing Director and Pharma Analyst, Guggenheim 1:43

Wegovy pill can recoup share.

Novo Nordisk's Wegovy pill has an opportunity to recoup market share losses because it is available in pill form and has a runway to establish itself before Lilly's own oral GLP-1 is approved, expected in the second quarter. Novo already has 130,000 patients on the drug, and cash-pay channels such as LifeMD and Ro are driving availability, though the uptake is not fully visible in reported data.

This CNBC video, published February 04, 2026, features Seamus Fernandez discussing LLY, NVO. 2 trade ideas extracted by AI with direction and confidence scoring.

Speakers: Seamus Fernandez · Tickers: LLY, NVO

Patient preference is leaning towards Eli Lilly's weight loss drugs, says Guggenheim's Fernandez

Summary

Ideas

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