The Medicare Bridge program is set to open the door for millions of seniors to access obesity drugs such as Wegovy from Novo Nordisk and Zepbound from Eli Lilly with a fixed $50 monthly copay, and that policy shift could reshape expectations around prescription volumes, pharmacy traffic, and related services. With awareness still low and enrollment requirements likely to stagger demand, investors have a window to consider how this gradual expansion in access might affect specific stocks. This article walks through 3 stocks from our Obesity Drug Opportunity screener that are directly exposed to this news.

CVS Health (CVS)

Overview: CVS Health is a US health care company that combines an insurer, a pharmacy benefit manager, and a nationwide retail and online pharmacy network to provide health plans, prescription services, and everyday health products to individuals, employers, and government programs.

Operations: CVS Health generates about US$195.2b from Health Services, US$142.7b from Health Care Benefits, and US$139.4b from Pharmacy & Consumer Wellness, with smaller Corporate/Other and intersegment eliminations. All reported revenue of roughly US$405.6b comes from the United States.

Market Cap: US$133.1b

CVS Health sits at the center of the obesity drug story because it is both a major Medicare health plan operator and one of the largest pharmacy and PBM platforms serving Wegovy and Zepbound prescriptions. The Medicare Bridge program could drive more GLP 1 volume through its 9,000 community pharmacies and Caremark PBM just as the company is trying to rebuild investor confidence after restructuring charges, slim 0.7% profit margins and a recent one off loss of US$6.6b. For investors, the interest lies in whether expanded GLP 1 access, CVS’s weight management programs and ongoing cost work can offset leverage, regulatory scrutiny of PBMs and governance questions, and what that balance implies for CVS Health’s future earnings power and valuation.

CVS Health’s razor thin 0.7% margin, recent US$6.6b loss and leverage could be masking how expanded GLP 1 access reshapes its earnings profile, so the 2 key rewards and 5 important warning signs (1 is major!)

Novo Nordisk (CPSE:NOVO B)

Overview: Novo Nordisk is a global pharmaceutical company focused on treating diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease and rare disorders, with products that include GLP 1 obesity treatments such as Wegovy, insulin and smart pens, hormone therapies, and other specialty medicines sold across North America, Europe, Asia and other international markets.

Operations: Novo Nordisk generates about DKK 307.4b from Diabetes and Obesity Care and DKK 20.5b from Rare Disease.

Market Cap: DKK 1,408.2b

Novo Nordisk sits at the center of the Medicare Bridge story, because Wegovy is one of the flagship drugs that will now be available to eligible seniors at a fixed $50 monthly copay, alongside rapid adoption of the Wegovy pill and ongoing launches in markets like the UAE and potentially the EU. Investors looking at Obesity Drug Opportunity Stocks for Expanding Medicare Access may see a mix of recent fundamentals, including 16.6% earnings growth and a 37.2% net margin, and clear pressure points such as high debt, pricing and patent risks, cyber incident headlines and a relatively new board and management team. How that tension between a growing GLP 1 franchise and these risks develops is an important consideration for Novo Nordisk.

Wegovy’s rapid adoption, 16.6% earnings growth and a 37.2% net margin suggest Novo Nordisk’s GLP 1 story may be only partly reflected in expectations. The analyst forecasts for Novo Nordisk could reveal where the next surprise sits.

Eli Lilly (LLY)

Overview: Eli Lilly is a global pharmaceutical company that researches, develops, manufactures, and sells prescription medicines for diabetes and obesity, cancer, autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, migraines, and Alzheimer’s, including Zepbound and Mounjaro within its cardiometabolic portfolio.

Operations: Eli Lilly generates about US$72.2b from its core pharmaceutical business worldwide, with around US$47.1b from the United States and roughly US$22.3b from China, Japan, Europe, and the rest of the world combined.

Market Cap: US$1.1t

Eli Lilly sits at the heart of the Medicare Bridge story because Zepbound is one of the obesity drugs eligible seniors can now access for a US$50 monthly copay. This could steadily expand the pool of long term users as awareness and enrollment catch up. With GLP 1 treatments already a key earnings driver, a 35% net margin and high forecast ROE, investors are watching how this broader access, new GLP 1 assets like Foundayo and retatrutide, and a growing pipeline in oncology and neuroscience balance against a rich 42.6x P/E, high debt, legal and pricing scrutiny, and the need to convert non cash earnings into durable cash flow.

Eli Lilly’s rich 42.6x P/E and 35% net margin suggest something powerful is being priced in, but not everyone agrees on the payoff path. The analyst forecasts for Eli Lilly could clarify where expectations might be stretched or still catching up.

Take Control of Your Investment Journey

If Novo Nordisk or any of these companies sound like a great opportunity, register for FREE with Simply Wall St and add your companies to a Watchlist to monitor the share price against the fair value the ideal entry point. Once you've made your move, manage your holdings with our Portfolio Command Center that filters out the noise to deliver only the most critical, actionable updates. Throughout your journey, our Community allows you to filter the best ideas from thousands of investor perspectives. By uncovering hidden catalysts and risks early, you'll accelerate your decision-making and stay one step ahead of the market.

Seeking Alternatives Before The Crowd?

Fresh breakouts, quiet momentum shifts and under the radar stocks rarely stay hidden for long, and pricing can move fast once attention hits, so act now.

• Track cash rich companies quietly building momentum with the curated list of solid balance sheet and fundamentals (48 results) and spot potential breakouts while the crowd is still looking elsewhere.
• Hunt for early stage companies with real earnings power using the hand picked 61 profitable AI stocks that aren't just burning cash before stronger results get fully priced in by everyone else.
• Zero in on potentially resilient businesses with the curated 71 resilient stocks with low risk scores and avoid getting caught chasing stocks after the strongest names are already flying.

This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.