Novo's Wegovy pill surpasses 26,000 prescriptions in second full week

Jan 30 (Reuters) - Novo Nordisk's NOVOb.CO Wegovy pill hit over 26,000 U.S. prescriptions in the second full week after its launch, IQVIA data shared by an analyst on Friday showed.

Investors are closely watching prescription data to see if the Danish drugmaker can press its first-mover advantage against rival Eli Lilly LLY.N in a competitive weight-loss market.

Despite oral obesity treatments offering patients greater convenience and a needle-free alternative, injectable medications are still expected to dominate for years to come.

The Wegovy pill was prescribed 26,109 times for the week ended January 23, suggesting the launch of the oral drug is very strong, Barclays analysts wrote in a note.

The pill hit 3,071 U.S. prescriptions in the first four days after its launch on January 5, and over 18,000 prescriptions in the week ended January 16.

Analysts have said the prescription data signals robust early uptake and tracks ahead of launches of other GLP-1s, as drugmakers shift towards cash-paying consumer market.