U.S. pharmaceutical firm Eli Lilly has released its second-quarter financial results for 2026. Driven by heightened demand for its weight-loss and diabetes medications, the company's quarterly revenue and profit significantly exceeded market expectations, leading to an upward revision of its full-year 2026 revenue forecast.

The earnings report shows that Eli Lilly achieved total revenue of $22.97 billion in the second quarter, with adjusted earnings per share of $8.38 and a net profit of $7.10 billion. Based on strong core business performance, the company has raised its 2026 full-year revenue guidance from the previous range of $82.0 billion to $85.0 billion to a new range of $85.0 billion to $87.0 billion. The full-year adjusted earnings per share guidance range has been set at $35.50 to $36.50.

Sales of key drugs increased steadily. The diabetes medication Mounjaro generated $9.94 billion in global revenue during the second quarter, representing a 91% year-over-year increase. Influenced by factors such as the drug's inclusion in China's National Reimbursement Drug List, sales from Eli Lilly's operations outside the United States grew by 113%, contributing to overseas revenue of $8.6 billion. Meanwhile, the weight-loss drug Zepbound posted $4.93 billion in U.S. revenue, a 44% increase year-over-year. Additionally, the new oral weight-loss medication Foundayo, which was approved in the U.S. in April, contributed $98 million in revenue this quarter, marking its first inclusion in the financial report.

In terms of market dynamics and corporate strategy, Eli Lilly currently holds a 60.9% share of the U.S. obesity and diabetes drug market, while its primary competitor, Novo Nordisk, commands a 38.8% share. Leveraging capital accumulated from its core drugs, Eli Lilly is advancing its corporate acquisition strategy. In May, the company announced plans to acquire three vaccine manufacturers, and in July, it reached an agreement to acquire a related drug research and development firm.

Eli Lilly CEO David Ricks noted that Mounjaro's global market penetration has exceeded expectations, with robust demand in self-pay markets including China, India, and Brazil. Ricks emphasized that prescriptions for the newly launched oral drug Foundayo are steadily increasing, and it has expanded the overall market size without cannibalizing sales of the existing drug Zepbound. Regarding the U.S. federal Medicare policy that began covering weight-loss drugs in July, Ricks described the rollout as off to a strong start and predicted that the Trump administration's initiative would positively impact controlling healthcare costs and improving the health of older adults.