Eli Lilly is a pharmaceutical company focused on four therapeutic areas: cardiometabolic health, oncology, immunology, and neuroscience. The core of Lilly's business is its incretin franchise, built around tirzepatide — a dual GIP/GLP-1 receptor agonist sold as Mounjaro (type 2 diabetes) and Zepbound (obesity and obstructive sleep apnea). Together, these two products account for over 75% of revenue and are the primary growth engine. Outside the U.S., Mounjaro is sold as a single brand covering both indications across 55+ countries. Beyond incretins, Lilly markets oncology drugs (notably Verzenio in breast cancer and Jaypirca in CLL/SLL), immunology drugs (Ebglyss, Omvoh, Taltz), and neuroscience products (Kisunla for early Alzheimer's, Emgality for migraine). Lilly sells through U.S. drug wholesalers and pharmacies, and increasingly through LillyDirect, its direct-to-patient platform, which now accounts for roughly one-third of new Zepbound prescriptions via a cash-pay channel. Lilly's business model is standard branded pharma — high gross margins on patented drugs, with revenue driven by patient volume and net price after rebates to PBMs and insurers. Tirzepatide's compound patents extend to 2036–2040. Lilly is investing heavily in manufacturing ($55B+ committed since 2020) and developing next-generation incretin molecules, including orforglipron, an oral GLP-1 agonist under regulatory review, and retatrutide, a triple agonist in Phase III trials.
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