Better GLP-1 Stock to Buy: Eli Lilly or Viking Therapeutics?
2026-08-08 19:30
•Prosper Junior Bakiny •The Motley Fool
••• •• Axe Cap view
Eli Lilly Stands Out Over Viking Therapeutics in GLP-1 Race
Eli Lilly’s proven GLP-1 drugs make it a safer bet than unproven Viking Therapeutics, despite the latter’s promise.
The GLP-1 segment is buzzing with growth, but the choice between Eli Lilly and Viking Therapeutics comes down to risk tolerance. Eli Lilly’s blockbuster Mounjaro and newer Zepbound dominate with almost $15 billion in quarterly sales combined, making its lead in diabetes and weight-loss treatments clear. For South African investors, strong US revenues are a reliable proxy for Prosus’s biotech exposure, given its stakes in global pharma. Viking Therapeutics, by contrast, is still a clinical-stage player with encouraging mid-stage data but no revenue or approved drugs. That means big potential upsides tied to upcoming trial results, but also high downside risk if phase 3 results disappoint. With the rand currently volatile against the dollar—hovering around 18.10 USD/ZAR—investors exposed to offshore biotech risk should be selective. If Viking flops, there could be notable sell-offs in speculative biotech-linked shares. this is just our opinion and not financial advice
Buy Eli Lilly for steady growth and less risk, particularly via proxy exposure like Prosus for a local angle. Avoid Viking Therapeutics until its phase 3 data proves out.
- LLY
- USD/ZAR
- Prosus
- Phase 3 trial failure for Viking Therapeutics
- Rand strengthening sharply reducing offshore earnings in ZAR terms
6/10
Eli Lilly and Viking Therapeutics are competing in the rapidly growing GLP-1 drug market. Eli Lilly leads with approved products like tirzepatide generating strong revenue ($9.9B for Mounjaro, $4.9B for Zepbound in Q2), while Viking Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biotech with promising VK2735 candidate showing strong phase 2 results. The article recommends Eli Lilly as the safer choice due to its established portfolio and limited downside risk, though Viking Therapeutics offers higher upside potential if its phase 3 trials succeed.
Our take is based on reporting first published by The Motley Fool.