A surge in demand for weight-loss drugs drove Eli Lilly’s revenue up 48% year on year in the second quarter of 2026 to $22.974 billion, as its market value surpassed $1 trillion, making it the first pharmaceutical company to reach that level.
Mounjaro and Zepbound lead growth
Revenue growth was driven mainly by higher sales of Mounjaro and Zepbound, two of the company’s leading products for diabetes treatment and weight management. Revenue from the key product portfolio reached $15.7 billion during the quarter.
The company reported net income of $7.095 billion, compared with $5.661 billion in the same period of 2025. Sales volume also rose 60%, while realized prices fell 13%.
Surge in revenue outside the United States
Eli Lilly’s revenue in the United States reached $14.4 billion, up 33%, while revenue outside the country jumped 80% to $8.6 billion.
The company attributed the growth in international sales to increased demand for Mounjaro, despite pressure from lower realized prices in several markets.
Higher investment and raised forecasts
The performance reflects the transformation of obesity treatments over three years from a limited sector into one of the pharmaceutical industry’s leading growth drivers, making them a recurring source of revenue and a lever for market value. Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk lead the market with products based on hormone treatments designed to manage weight and diabetes.
Alongside rising sales, Eli Lilly increased research and development spending by 14% in the second quarter to $3.8 billion, and raised its forecast for 2026 results, citing continued demand growth and progress across its drug portfolio.
