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FDA Approves Eli Lilly’s Once-Weekly Insulin Onswik

By Drooid · Sep 25, 2026, 2:35 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Lilly Wins Weekly Insulin

FDA approved Eli Lilly’s weekly insulin Onswik, offering a once-weekly alternative to Novo Nordisk’s Tresiba.
Eli Lilly held about 61% of the U.S. GLP-1 market in Q2, while Novo Nordisk held 39%.
In Phase 3 QWINT-2, Onswik lowered A1C by 1.34%, marginally outperforming Novo’s degludec at 1.26%.
Lilly’s oral obesity pill Foundayo now treats one-third of new GLP-1 patients, expanding weekly market share.

Summary

Florida AG Sues

Florida AG James Uthmeier filed an antitrust suit against Eli Lilly, Novo Nordisk, Sanofi and PBMs.
The complaint says rebates keep insulin prices high, citing Humalog at $280 per vial.
Nearly 100 New Jersey lawsuits claim GLP-1 drugs caused non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION).
The European Medicines Agency urged Novo Nordisk to add NAION warnings to its weight-loss drugs.
Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly deny a causal link, saying safety data do not confirm NAION.

History

Historical Context

FDA approval of Eli Lilly’s insulin lispro (Humalog) in June 1996 introduced the first rapid-acting insulin analogue, sparking a wave of short-acting products such as Novo Nordisk’s insulin aspart and later long-acting analogues like Lantus (2000). Rising prices—$234 per vial in 2015—prompted congressional inquiries in 2019 and a $35 monthly cap announced in 2023, intensifying regulatory focus on insulin pricing.

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Lilly Wins Weekly Insulin

FDA approved Eli Lilly’s weekly insulin Onswik, offering a once-weekly alternative to Novo Nordisk’s Tresiba.
Eli Lilly held about 61% of the U.S. GLP-1 market in Q2, while Novo Nordisk held 39%.
In Phase 3 QWINT-2, Onswik lowered A1C by 1.34%, marginally outperforming Novo’s degludec at 1.26%.
Lilly’s oral obesity pill Foundayo now treats one-third of new GLP-1 patients, expanding weekly market share.

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