Billionaire Cliff Asness’ Top 5 Healthcare Stock Picks

In this article, we will list the Billionaire Cliff Asness’ Top 5 Healthcare Stock Picks. Please visit Billionaire Cliff Asness’ Top 10 Healthcare Stock Picks if you would like to see the extended list and the methodology behind it.

5. Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY)

AQR Capital Management’s Stake Value: $785,712,065

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 132

Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) is one of billionaire Cliff Asness’ top 10 healthcare stock picks. On June 25, Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) released additional details about the Medicare GLP-1 Bridge program, where it explained how eligible Medicare Part D patients can access its two weight management drugs for a flat $50 per month starting July 1, 2026. The Medicare GLP-1 Bridge program is a government-run demonstration initiative administered by the CMS.

Source: Pexels

For context, until this program, Medicare has not broadly covered obesity medications, even though two in five Americans aged 65 and older live with obesity, Eli Lilly noted. The company estimates that roughly 20 million Medicare patients may qualify under the program’s clinical criteria, and that this makes it the first time that many seniors will have meaningful, affordable access to prescription obesity treatment.

The program covers Foundayo (orforglipron) and Zepbound (tirzepatide). Foundayo is a once-daily oral pill that requires no food or drink restrictions and Zepbound is the most prescribed injectable weight-loss medication in the US. The program does not cover single-dose Zepbound vials or pens; only the Zepbound KwikPen is included.

To qualify, patients must be 18 or older, have Medicare Part D coverage, and have a BMI of 35 or higher. The program accepts a BMI of 27 or above combined with specific weight-related conditions such as prediabetes, high blood pressure, chronic kidney disease, or a prior heart attack or stroke. However, the program excludes patients already receiving a GLP-1 drug through their Part D plan, or those diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, moderate-to-severe sleep apnea, or fatty liver disease.

Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) is a pharmaceutical company. It discovers, develops, manufactures, and sells human pharmaceutical products worldwide. The company focuses on therapeutic areas like diabetes, obesity, oncology, immunology, and neuroscience.