Eli Lilly is betting big on its experimental oral weight-loss drug even before reporting data from its late-stage trial by recording nearly $550 million in "pre-launch inventory" in its financial statements,

Eli Lilly Chief Scientific Officer Dan Skovronsky spoke to CNBC about obesity pills and more on the future of weight loss.

One participant lost 22% of her weight in nine months — substantially faster than the rate seen with approved GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy or Zepbound. Her weight dropped so much that researchers reduced her dose of the treatment, called retatrutide. Still, she continued to feel too nauseous, so she decided by herself to start skipping every other dose.

About a dozen drugmakers are developing new weight-loss treatments aimed at preserving muscle, and industry analysts, clinical trial experts and doctors say they may also need to demonstrate additional health benefits beyond the numbers on a scale to get approved.

Health experts are investigating a possible link between popular weight loss drugs like Ozempic and sudden blindness.

The weight-loss drug boom has transformed Eli Lilly (LLY), the maker of Zepbound, into the largest healthcare company in the world. Now, the pharma giant wants to reinvest its success with weight-loss meds into tackling some of the world’s toughest health challenges.