Eli Lilly vs Novo Nordisk: Revenue, Profit and Business Model
Eli Lilly reported $65.2B of revenue in FY2025 and $20.6B of net income. Novo Nordisk reported ~$47B of revenue in FY2025 and ~$15.6B of net income.
Latest financial snapshot
Eli Lilly
- Latest revenue
- $65.2B (FY2025)
- Net income
- $20.6B
- Net margin
- 31.7%
- Revenue growth
- +23.2% a year, FY2021–FY2025
Novo Nordisk
- Latest revenue
- ~$47B (FY2025)
- Net income
- ~$15.6B
- Net margin
- 33.1%
- Revenue growth
- +16.8% a year, FY2019–FY2025
Financial summary
Eli Lilly
Revenue rose from $28.5 billion in 2022 to $45.0 billion in 2024 and $65.2 billion in 2025, while net income nearly doubled to $20.6 billion. Growth accelerated again in 2026: second-quarter revenue rose 48% to $23.0 billion, with Mounjaro at $9.94 billion (up 91%) and Zepbound at $4.93 billion. Lilly raised 2026 revenue guidance to $85-87 billion and non-GAAP EPS guidance to $35.50-36.50. Capital expenditures reached $7.8 billion in 2025 as Lilly expanded production capacity.
Novo Nordisk
Sales grew from ~$18.5B (DKK 122.0B) in 2019 to ~$47B (DKK 309.1B) in 2025, and net profit rose from ~$5.93B (DKK 39.0B) to ~$15.6B (DKK 102.4B), driven by Ozempic and Wegovy. Growth slowed to 6.4% in reported DKK in 2025 as US prices fell and competition rose. In H1 2026 reported sales were ~$26.6B (DKK 175.3B), inflated by a one-off 340B rebate provision reversal; adjusted sales were ~$22.6B (DKK 148.6B). Q2 2026 adjusted sales rose 7% at constant exchange rates, and management guided full-year 2026 adjusted sales and operating profit growth of 0% to -6% at CER.
Revenue and profit by year
Eli Lilly
| Year | Revenue | Net income | Margin | Growth | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | $65.2B | $20.6B | 31.7% | +44.7% | Source |
| FY2024 | $45B | $10.6B | 23.5% | +32.0% | Source |
| FY2023 | $34.1B | $5.2B | 15.4% | +19.6% | Source |
| FY2022 | $28.5B | $6.2B | 21.9% | +0.8% | Source |
| FY2021 | $28.3B | $5.6B | 19.7% | — | Source |
Novo Nordisk
| Year | Revenue | Net income | Margin | Growth | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | ~$47B | ~$15.6B | 33.1% | +6.4% | Source |
| FY2024 | ~$44.1B | ~$15.4B | 34.8% | +25.0% | Source |
| FY2023 | ~$35.3B | ~$12.7B | 36.0% | +31.3% | Source |
| FY2022 | ~$26.9B | ~$8.4B | 31.4% | +25.7% | Source |
| FY2021 | ~$21.4B | ~$7.3B | 33.9% | +10.9% | Source |
| FY2020 | ~$19.3B | ~$6.4B | 33.2% | +4.0% | Source |
| FY2019 | ~$18.5B | ~$5.9B | 31.9% | — | Source |
Where the revenue comes from
Eli Lilly
- Branded Prescription MedicinesPrimary
Sales of patent-protected medicines through wholesalers, pharmacies, health systems, and international channels.
- Collaborations and Licensing
Supporting
Milestones, royalties, and collaboration economics connected to research, development, and commercialization partnerships.
Novo Nordisk
- GLP-1 Diabetes MedicinesMajor
Ozempic, Rybelsus, and related diabetes products sold globally.
- Obesity Care
Major growth
Wegovy and related obesity-care products sold through prescription channels.
- Insulin And Diabetes CareMaterial
Insulin and other diabetes medicines across developed and emerging markets.
- Rare Disease
Complementary
Hemophilia, growth hormone, and rare endocrine therapies.
- Pipeline And Lifecycle ExpansionFuture
New indications, formulations, and next-generation metabolic medicines.
Business model and strategy
Eli Lilly
How it makes money
Lilly makes money by discovering, developing, manufacturing and selling patent-protected prescription medicines. Revenue comes mainly from product sales to wholesalers, pharmacies and health systems, with net prices set through negotiations with insurers, pharmacy benefit managers and governments; collaboration and royalty income adds a smaller share.
Growth strategy
Lilly's growth strategy has three parts: expand incretin supply and indications, add oral and next-generation obesity medicines, and diversify through oncology, immunology, neuroscience and genetic medicine. Foundayo (orforglipron) was approved by the FDA on April 1, 2026 and launched through LillyDirect, telehealth and U.S. retail pharmacies. Retatrutide, a GIP/GLP-1/glucagon triple agonist, is in Phase 3.
Competitive advantage
Lilly's advantage combines a century of diabetes and peptide-hormone expertise with manufacturing scale few rivals can match. Tirzepatide's dual GIP/GLP-1 mechanism produced greater weight loss than semaglutide in the head-to-head SURMOUNT-5 trial, and Foundayo gives Lilly a small-molecule GLP-1 pill that can be taken without food or water restrictions and is easier to mass-produce than peptides.
Novo Nordisk
How it makes money
Novo Nordisk sells prescription medicines through two segments. Diabetes and Obesity care is the bulk of sales: GLP-1 drugs (Ozempic, Rybelsus, Wegovy injection, the Wegovy pill launched in the US in January 2026 and Wegovy HD 7.2 mg), plus insulins such as Tresiba and NovoRapid. Rare disease covers haemophilia, growth hormone and other endocrine products.
Growth strategy
Under CEO Mike Doustdar the strategy is to cut costs (about 9,000 roles targeted in 2025, with reported headcount down further since), push volume through cheaper self-pay and oral options such as the Wegovy pill, roll out Wegovy 7.2 mg internationally, and rebuild the pipeline through deals such as the Akero Therapeutics acquisition for MASH and in-licensing agreements.
Competitive advantage
Novo Nordisk's edge is a century of peptide and insulin manufacturing know-how, large owned API and fill-finish capacity (including three former Catalent sites bought for $11B in 2024), outcomes data such as SELECT (20% lower risk of major cardiovascular events) and FLOW, and the first approved oral GLP-1 for obesity. Foundation control also lets it invest for the long term without takeover risk.
Questions about Eli Lilly vs Novo Nordisk
Which company has higher revenue — Eli Lilly and Company or Novo Nordisk A/S?
Eli Lilly and Company reported $65.2B (FY2025), while Novo Nordisk A/S reported ~$47B (FY2025). By last reported revenue, Eli Lilly and Company is the larger business, with Novo Nordisk A/S reporting a smaller revenue base.
What is the market cap of Eli Lilly and Company vs Novo Nordisk A/S?
Eli Lilly and Company's market capitalisation stands at $1.06T, while Novo Nordisk A/S's is $170.0B. Eli Lilly and Company carries the higher market valuation, reflecting investors' expectations of its future earnings power relative to Novo Nordisk A/S.
Which is more financially efficient — Eli Lilly and Company or Novo Nordisk A/S?
Eli Lilly and Company generates $1.30M / employee in revenue per employee, while Novo Nordisk A/S generates $704k / employee. Eli Lilly and Company shows higher revenue efficiency per headcount, though this reflects business model differences — capital-light software companies routinely outperform labour-intensive manufacturers on this metric.
How do Eli Lilly and Company and Novo Nordisk A/S make money?
Eli Lilly and Company and Novo Nordisk A/S generate revenue in fundamentally different ways. Eli Lilly and Company: Lilly makes money by discovering, developing, manufacturing and selling patent-protected prescription medicines. Novo Nordisk A/S: Novo Nordisk sells prescription medicines through two segments.
Which company is valued higher relative to revenue — Eli Lilly and Company or Novo Nordisk A/S?
On a price-to-sales (P/S) basis, Eli Lilly and Company trades at 16.3x P/S and Novo Nordisk A/S at 3.6x P/S. Eli Lilly and Company commands a higher revenue multiple, typically indicating that investors expect faster growth or higher future margins compared to Novo Nordisk A/S. A higher multiple is not inherently better — it may also signal that the stock is priced for perfection.
Is Eli Lilly and Company bigger than Novo Nordisk A/S?
By last reported revenue, Eli Lilly and Company ($65.2B (FY2025)) is the larger company compared to Novo Nordisk A/S (~$47B (FY2025)). Revenue scale is one dimension of size — market capitalisation, employee count, and geographic reach are also relevant depending on the context.
Figures come from each company's filings and the sources linked beside them. Amounts reported in another currency are shown in US dollars at an approximate rate and marked with ~. Back to the Eli Lilly vs Novo Nordisk overview