Bad news for Pfizer (NYSE: PFE) turned into good news for Eli Lilly (NYSE: LLY), Novo Nordisk(NYSE: NVO), and Viking Therapeutics(NASDAQ: VKTX) Monday morning, each of which is rising on Pfizer's latest product announcement.

Early this morning, Pfizer announced it will discontinue development of its danuglipron (PF-06882961) once-a-day oral GLP-1 weight loss pill. Shares of companies will injectable GLP-1 drugs already on the market -- Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk -- gained 2% and 2.7%, respectively, through 10:30 a.m. ET. Viking Therapeutics, which does not yet have a GLP-1 drug on the market (but like Pfizer, was racing to put one there) surged most of all, gaining 9.9% on the prospect that now Viking, and not Pfizer, may end up being the third major player in this weight loss drug market.

What Pfizer said on Monday

In its press release this morning, Pfizer explained that while danuglipron exhibited the "potential to deliver a competitive efficacy and tolerability profile" to existing GLP-1 drugs, "a single asymptomatic participant in one of the dose-optimization studies experienced potential drug-induced liver injury, which resolved after discontinuation of danuglipron" (emphasis added). This was a strong hint that it was the drug at fault for the negative effect, and it convinced Pfizer to terminate further development.

Pfizer expressed disappointment at the need to discontinue the development of danuglipron, but insisted the company remains "committed to evaluating and advancing promising programs," including in the weight loss market. But for now at least, it's no longer anywhere near the front of the pack in this race.

(Pfizer stock was down 1.2% in the same time frame, by the way).Image source: Getty Images.

What this means for Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk

The implications for Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk seem pretty clear: The immediate removal of a rival for the massive revenues they've been raking in from the GLP-1 market, which helped lift Lilly past $45 billion in total revenue last year, and pushed Novo past $44 billion.

Adding to Lilly's good news, investment bank Guggenheim this morning lowered its price target on the stock, but reiterated its buy rating. As the analyst explained, Lilly has a near-term catalyst that could drive the stock higher: Q1 earnings come out on May 1. And Guggenheim says that analyst forecasts for the company to earn $4.2 billion on just $12.8 billion in revenue (according to data from S&P Global Market Intelligence) look "comfortably achievable."

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What this means for Viking Therapeutics

Separately, investment bank JPMorgan commented this morning that Pfizer's discontinuation of danuglipron is "mostly a positive" for Viking Therapeutics and its VK2735 GLP-1 weight loss drug currently under development, making the company an "even more attractive partnership candidate" for a larger pharmaceutical company to team up with.

JPMorgan also urged investors to take a closer look at Structure Therapeutics(NASDAQ: GPCR) and its own ACCG-2671 GLP-1 weight loss drug (another stock that was up today), which JPMorgan says is now in line to become the second small molecule oral to enter the market.

Granted, like Viking, Structure is not yet a profitable company. But at a $1 billion market cap, it's less than half the cost of Viking stock -- and apparently closer to market as well!

For investors looking for surer bets in the GLP-1 market, they should probably stick with Novo Nordisk or Lilly. Both stocks are solidly profitable, with Lilly posting the faster growth rate, but Novo Nordisk -- selling for less than 20 times trailing earnings -- looks significantly cheaper than Lilly at a P/E ratio of more than 62.

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JPMorgan Chase is an advertising partner of Motley Fool Money. Rich Smith has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends JPMorgan Chase and Pfizer. The Motley Fool recommends Novo Nordisk and Viking Therapeutics. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Why Eli Lilly, Novo Nordisk, and Viking Therapeutics Stocks All Popped Today was originally published by The Motley Fool

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