11 Best Pharma Stocks to Invest in for the Long Term

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1. Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 119

Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) tops our list for being one of the best pharmaceutical stocks. It is a global pharmaceutical leader in diabetes, oncology, and neuroscience, and continues to advance its position with innovative therapies and strategic pipeline expansion. The company has established a strong presence in the high-growth GLP-1 and incretin markets with blockbuster drugs like Mounjaro and Zepbound, targeting diabetes and obesity.

A recent highlight is Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY)’s oral obesity drug orforglipron, which met all primary and key secondary endpoints in its Phase 3 trial, showing significant weight reduction of 10.5% in diabetes patients and 12.4% in obesity patients. These results set the stage for global regulatory submissions, including the FDA later in 2025, potentially making orforglipron the first approved oral obesity therapy. The development complements the business’s injectable treatments and strengthens its competitive position against rivals such as Novo Nordisk.

In addition, Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) completed the acquisition of Verve Therapeutics, a genetic medicine company focused on cardiovascular disease, expanding its pipeline beyond metabolic disorders and signaling long-term portfolio diversification. The corporation is also advancing other pipeline assets, including retatrutide, a triple G-I hormone receptor agonist aimed at revolutionizing obesity treatment, alongside research into Mounjaro’s cardiovascular protective benefits for type 2 diabetes patients.

While we acknowledge the potential of LLY to grow, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and have limited downside risk. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than LLY and that has 100x upside potential, check out our report about this cheapest AI stock.

READ NEXT: 30 Stocks That Should Double in 3 Years and 11 Hidden AI Stocks to Buy Right Now.

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