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The \u200cEuropean Medicines Agency\u2019s committee on Friday recommended approval of Eli Lilly\u2019s weight-loss pill Foundayo, the second oral obesity drug to win the agency\u2019s backing after Novo Nordisk\u2019s Wegovy pill.<\/strong><\/p>\n The recommendation will now be reviewed by the European \u200bCommission before it gives the final nod to launch the drug in the region.<\/p>\n Both \u200bNovo and Lilly are racing to broaden access to their oral drugs, as \u2060they aim to secure a larger share of a market expected to surpass $100 billion by \u200b2030.<\/p>\n Foundayo was launched in the US in April and in the UK in August, and generated $98 million \u200bin sales in the second quarter.<\/p>\n Novo\u2019s Wegovy pill generated 3.22 billion Danish crowns ($484.50 million) in the same quarter. The pill won EU approval in July. It is also available in the US, the UK and the UAE.<\/p>\n The EMA \u200bon Friday recommended a marketing authorisation for Foundayo for weight management and treatment of type 2 \u200bdiabetes in adults.<\/p>\n Bernstein analyst Courtney Breen expects the company to launch the drug in the EU for obesity \u200caround \u2060year-end, adding that for diabetes, \u201cthe launch timing depends on member-state reimbursement\u201d.<\/p>\n Lilly will work with governments, payers and healthcare systems to help ensure people who could benefit from Foundayo have an opportunity to access it, said Ken Custer, president of Lilly Cardiometabolic Health.<\/p>\n The pill, which Lilly has sought approval for \u200bin more than 40 \u200bcountries, contains orforglipron, a \u2060small-molecule GLP-1 receptor agonist that can help reduce appetite and food intake.<\/p>\n Early US prescription data for oral weight-loss drugs has supported expectations that pills could \u200bexpand the obesity market by attracting patients who have been reluctant \u200bto use injections.<\/p>\n Foundayo \u2060has, however, seen a slower uptake in the US compared to Novo\u2019s Wegovy, which was first to market.<\/p>\n Unlike the Wegovy pill, Foundayo can be taken at any time of the day without food or water \u2060restrictions, a \u200bfeature that Lilly has touted as a key advantage \u200bof the drug.<\/p>\n It remains unclear whether patients perceive Foundayo\u2019s convenience as compelling enough to drive broader adoption.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n