Lilly’s catch-up act in psoriasis is working, but now it has to catch up in cancer

Fierce Pharma ------- Eli Lilly has been playing catch-up in the psoriasis market ever since it launched its drug to treat the condition, Taltz, last spring into a crowded field dominated by Novartis’ Cosentyx. But if second-quarter results are any indication, Lilly is proving to be a formidable competitor. Sales of Taltz skyrocketed 618% year-over-year to $138.7 million, which handily beat the consensus analyst estimate of $122 million. Other new medications also outperformed, including diabetes treatments Jardiance, up 157% to $103.2 million, and Trulicity, which rose 139% to $480.2 million. All told, Lilly’s revenues jumped 8% to $5.8 billion during the second quarter. The company’s non-GAAP net income was up 30% to $1.2 billion (95 cents a share). Analysts had been boosting their sales forecasts over the last month but were still pleasantly surprised, having expected $5.6 billion in sales. To learn more click on the picture below to read the article.