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INDIANAPOLIS - Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY), a prominent player in the pharmaceuticals industry with a market capitalization of $735 billion and impressive revenue growth of 37% over the last twelve months, announced Friday that its breast cancer drug Verzenio demonstrated a significant overall survival benefit when used with endocrine therapy in patients with hormone receptor-positive (HR+), HER2-negative, node-positive, high-risk early breast cancer. According to InvestingPro analysis, the company maintains a "GREAT" financial health score, supported by strong profitability metrics.
Results from the Phase 3 monarchE trial showed that two years of adjuvant Verzenio plus endocrine therapy reduced the risk of death by 15.8% compared to endocrine therapy alone. The seven-year overall survival rate was 86.8% for the Verzenio combination versus 85.0% for endocrine therapy alone. With an industry-leading gross profit margin of 82.6%, Eli Lilly demonstrates strong operational efficiency in bringing such innovative treatments to market.
The data, presented at the European Society for Medical Oncology Annual Meeting in Berlin and simultaneously published in Annals of Oncology, represents the first contemporary therapy in over two decades to show a significant survival improvement in this setting.
With a median follow-up of 6.3 years, the study also demonstrated sustained benefits in invasive disease-free survival and distant relapse-free survival. Notably, 32% fewer patients treated with Verzenio plus endocrine therapy were living with metastatic disease compared to those receiving endocrine therapy alone.
"These results represent an important advancement in the care of node-positive, high-risk HR+, HER2- disease by delivering meaningful reductions in recurrence and improving survival," said Jacob Van Naarden, executive vice president and president of Lilly Oncology, in the press release.
Safety findings were consistent with Verzenio’s known profile, with no new safety signals or delayed toxicities observed. The most common adverse reactions included diarrhea, infections, and neutropenia.
The monarchE trial enrolled 5,637 adults across more than 600 sites in 38 countries. Lilly stated that the data is being submitted to regulatory health authorities globally. For investors seeking deeper insights into Eli Lilly’s market position and growth potential, InvestingPro offers comprehensive analysis including 14 additional ProTips and detailed valuation metrics in its Pro Research Report, available as part of the subscription covering 1,400+ top US stocks.
In other recent news, Eli Lilly has been in the spotlight for several developments. The company announced that its experimental oral GLP-1 receptor agonist, orforglipron, demonstrated superior blood sugar control in two Phase 3 clinical trials. However, orforglipron was not included in the first batch of medications to receive the Commissioner’s National Priority Vouchers, as announced by the White House and FDA. On a positive note, Erste Group upgraded Eli Lilly’s stock rating from Hold to Buy following strong first-half results and an upward revision of its full-year 2025 guidance for revenue and earnings per share.
Additionally, Eli Lilly is set to present primary survival data for Verzenio in early breast cancer at the upcoming European Society for Medical Oncology Annual Meeting in Berlin. Guggenheim has also raised its price target for Eli Lilly to $948, maintaining a Buy rating, and forecasts third-quarter Mounjaro sales slightly above consensus estimates. These recent developments reflect significant activity and interest surrounding Eli Lilly in the pharmaceutical sector.
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