Eli Lilly plans European weight-loss pill launch by early 2027

Investing.com -- Eli Lilly plans to introduce its weight-loss pill in Europe and Britain during the second half of this year or early 2027, the company said. The drugmaker will focus on the out-of-pocket telehealth market, similar to its approach in the United States.

Patrik Jonsson, executive vice president of Lilly's international businesses, told Reuters that the company expects Europe and Britain to be among the next markets to receive the drug following recent approvals in the United States and the United Arab Emirates.

The company will launch the drug for weight-loss as soon as it receives regulatory approvals and will partner with telehealth companies. Jonsson explained that most obesity treatment outside the U.S. is paid for directly by patients rather than public health systems.

The strategy extends Lilly's efforts to build a consumer-focused obesity business outside the U.S. through telehealth providers, e-commerce platforms and direct-to-patient channels. The company is applying lessons from the development of the U.S. obesity market, Jonsson said.

Lilly will still pursue reimbursement from European governments where possible, though new U.S. drug pricing policies add complexity to negotiations with health authorities. President Donald Trump's "most-favoured-nation" pricing policy seeks to link some U.S. drug prices to those paid in other countries.

"Our goal will still be public coverage, wherever possible," Jonsson said. He added that "MFN will play a role for all launches."

Lilly signed an agreement with the Trump administration last year to provide MFN pricing on new medicines. Jonsson said Lilly would seek reimbursed prices consistent with the company's interpretation of the MFN framework, which links prices to U.S. net prices adjusted for countries' income levels.

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