Eli Lilly CEO: One-Third of New GLP-1 Oral Patients Take Foundayo, Oral Market Share Growing Weekly

Dave Ricks, Chairman and CEO of Eli Lilly, stated on Monday that one-third of new patients taking oral GLP-1 medications are now using the company's drug, Foundayo. The pharmaceutical giant is working to close the gap with rival Novo Nordisk, which has established a leading position in this therapeutic area.

Ricks noted that the company's share of the oral medication market is increasing week by week. He expressed long-term confidence in Lilly's position within the oral tablet segment, particularly as the company plans to launch Foundayo in additional international markets over the coming months.

New Manufacturing Facility in Texas

Ricks made these remarks during an interview at Generation Park in Houston, Texas, standing on approximately 240 acres of land that will eventually house Lilly's new $6.5 billion manufacturing facility. The company broke ground on the site Monday, nearly a year after first announcing the location, and expects the plant to become operational by 2030.

The facility's most notable function will be producing Foundayo, Lilly's highly anticipated oral GLP-1 obesity drug, which entered the U.S. market in April. However, the plant will also manufacture active ingredients for other small-molecule drugs across multiple therapeutic areas, including:

• Cardiometabolic health
• Oncology
• Immunology
• Neuroscience

Part of Broader U.S. Manufacturing Push

This investment is part of a series of new commitments Lilly has made over the past year to bring manufacturing back to the United States. In February 2025, the company pledged an additional $27 billion to build four new facilities, including the Houston site—a move partly aimed at building goodwill with President Donald Trump.

Lilly has emphasized that manufacturing capacity, alongside its drug portfolio, represents a key competitive advantage over Novo Nordisk. Since 2020, the company has committed more than $50 billion to expand its manufacturing network, aiming to meet growing demand for obesity and diabetes treatments while supporting future product launches.

Rising Demand for Foundayo

Demand for Foundayo in the U.S. is on the rise. In August, the company reported that the oral drug generated $98 million in sales during its second quarter—the first full three-month period following its launch. A landmark new Medicare coverage for obesity drugs, which began in July, is expected to further expand access to both Foundayo and Lilly's blockbuster injectable weight-loss drug, Zepbound.