Adds analysts' comments in paragraphs 4, 15

By Christy Santhosh and Mrinalika Roy

April 30 (Reuters) - Eli Lilly LLY.N significantly raised its full-year profit and revenue forecasts on Thursday, as surging demand for its GLP-1 weight-loss and diabetes drugs helped offset lower prices across U.S. and international markets, and its shares jumped more than 6%.

Investor focus remains on whether the U.S. drugmaker can sustain this momentum as pricing pressures intensify. Lilly has been navigating with lower realized prices, reflecting negotiated discounts and deals with the Trump administration, raising questions about how effectively it can continue translating strong demand into revenue growth.

Meanwhile the company's first-quarter performance should ease some investor concerns, as the Indianapolis-based drugmaker reported an adjusted profit of $8.55 per share, sailing past Wall Street estimates of $6.66, according to LSEG data.

"After a weaker start to 2026, first-quarter results firmly put concerns to bed, with strength across the business," said BMO Capital Markets analyst Evan Seigerman. Lilly shares had fallen 20% so far this year.

The low end of Lilly's new 2026 profit forecast range is now higher than its prior high end. The company now sees adjusted earnings of $35.50 to $37.00 per share, up from $33.50 to $35.00. Analysts were estimating $34.55 per share. It expects revenue of $82 billion to $85 billion compared to its previous forecast of $80 billion to $83 billion.

Lilly is competing with Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk NOVOb.CO in the exploding market for the newer weight-loss drugs expected by analysts to reach $150 billion annually in the next decade. Both companies struck agreements with the administration of President Donald Trump in November to lower U.S. prices of their obesity drugs.

Despite pricing pressures, Lilly's GLP-1 products continue to outperform. Mounjaro, used for diabetes in the U.S. and both diabetes and weight loss elsewhere, generated $8.7 billion in sales, beating expectations by more than $1 billion. Zepbound, the U.S. weight-loss brand name, brought in $4.2 billion, also ahead of estimates.

The company said growth was driven primarily by higher volumes across markets. International markets were a key driver of revenue growth, led by strong demand for Mounjaro.

"The international Mounjaro sales drove this impressive top-line beat, with Lilly overtaking Novo as the market share leader for GLP-1s in these ex-U.S. markets," said Lilly investor Terence McManus of Bellevue Asset Management in Zurich.

FOCUS ON FOUNDAYO

Lilly's once-daily oral weight-loss drug Foundayo, which competes directly with the Wegovy pill, was launched earlier this month. It was prescribed 3,707 times in the U.S. in the week ended April 17, below analysts' expectations closer to around 8,000.

Investors are closely watching the rollout as a key test of whether Lilly can gain market share from Novo, which launched oral Wegovy in January, gaining a first-to-market edge.

Lilly said the U.S. launch was off to a strong start, and that more than 12 major telehealth firms were offering Foundayo, accounting for about 35% of launch volume.

CEO David Ricks said he expects Foundayo to expand the number of people who can benefit from GLP-1s.

While "it's really tough to ask for a better quarter," investors will be seeking more clarity on Foundayo's launch dynamics and the broader obesity franchise, which are key to sustaining momentum, Barclays analysts said.