New York, Jan 17, 2026, 10:03 ET — Market closed.
- Eli Lilly shares closed Friday 0.5% higher following a volatile session.
- The FDA has set April 10 as the new target date to decide on Lilly’s experimental weight-loss drug.
- Traders are keeping an eye on early U.S. prescription figures for Novo Nordisk’s new Wegovy pill.
Eli Lilly shares ended Friday up 0.5%, closing at $1,038.40. Investors enter the week anticipating a delayed U.S. regulatory verdict on the drugmaker’s experimental obesity medication.
The key issue now is timing. A postponed verdict on Lilly’s oral weight-loss drug comes amid a rapidly evolving race, where pills aim to expand the market beyond injectable treatments.
This matters because the company’s upcoming catalysts come in quick succession, and with the U.S. market reopening Tuesday after a holiday, the stock has limited time to absorb new developments before the next wave of company and regulatory updates.
Thursday brought news from Reuters that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has delayed review timelines for several drugs under the Commissioner’s National Priority Voucher Program, a fast-track system designed to cut decision times to one or two months. Internal documents obtained by Reuters reveal Lilly’s weight-loss pill now targets an April 10 decision. A Lilly spokesperson said approval might come in Q2, following current FDA guidance. Holly Fernandez Lynch, a health policy professor at the University of Pennsylvania, described the delays as “a very good sign” that the agency is willing to hold back when it’s uncertain about a product’s market readiness. 1
A Reuters report on Friday highlighted concerns among some drugmakers about potential legal risks if accelerated reviews are judged too superficial, despite the program attracting major players. Lilly’s research chief Dan Skovronsky, who backs the initiative, said, “We’ve just started, so let’s see how it goes,” and praised efforts to speed up access while keeping the agency “science-driven.” McKinsey senior partner Greg Graves added that if faster reviews succeed without “compromises,” “it’ll be hard to unmake history.” 2
Competition is heating up. Reuters reported that Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy weight-loss pill recorded around 3,071 retail prescriptions in its first four days post-launch on Jan. 5, based on IQVIA data shared by analysts. This provides investors an early snapshot of the first obesity pill hitting the market. Ro CEO and co-founder Zach Reitano noted “early signs” that the Wegovy pill available through Ro is gaining traction, while BCG’s Suchita Shah highlighted that the pill launches this year could stimulate the market as patients begin to weigh their options. 3
For Lilly, success hinges on execution and timing. A pill would open access to those avoiding needles and intensify competition with Novo in the GLP-1 space — drugs that mimic a gut hormone to suppress appetite and manage blood sugar.
The risks are clear. A delay in the FDA process, stricter label requirements, or a request for more data could push the pill further into an increasingly crowded and price-sensitive market.
U.S. stocks will next trade on Tuesday, as the New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq shut down Monday in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. 4
Investors outside Washington will be tuning in closely to Lilly’s take on demand trends and its forecast when it releases results. The company has set its fourth-quarter 2025 earnings call for Feb. 4. 5
The next major event for Lilly shareholders is the update scheduled for Feb. 4.
