07:22 AM EDT, 03/26/2024 (MT Newswires) -- Eli Lilly and Company's ( LLY ) weight-loss drug Zepbound is set to become one of its biggest money makers this year as US regulatory approval opened the door for widespread usage.

Zepbound, which has tirzepatide as its active ingredient, brought in $175.8 million in revenue last year. For 2024, that's poised to surge to $3.58 billion, according to the consensus of 16 analysts polled by Visible Alpha. Next year, the drug's revenue is seen more than doubling to $8.33 billion, the data show.

In November, Zepbound was approved for weight management in obese or overweight adults by the US Food and Drug Administration. Mounjaro, Lilly's other tirzepatide drug meant for type 2 diabetes treatment, is poised to bring in $9.9 billion in revenue this year and $13 billion in 2025, the Visible Alpha data show.

Zepbound, which the FDA said can have side effect ranging from constipation to hair loss, is a weekly injection that's had "exceptional prescription uptake" since its launch, Lilly said in its fourth-quarter results last month.

"We expect scripts to continue to grow for Mounjaro and Zepbound as shortages resolve by April," BMO Capital Markets Senior Research Analyst Evan Seigerman said in an e-mailed note Monday. Tirzepatide is listed as currently in shortage on the FDA's website, stemming from the increase in demand.

Lilly's shares have jumped 33% this year, outperforming the Standard & Poor's 500 health care sector, which is up 6.5% in the period. Novo Nordisk (NVO), the Danish maker of weight-loss drug Wegovy and diabetes treatment Ozempic, has seen its shares rise 25% so far in 2024.

In 2023, Mounjaro brought in $5.16 billion revenue, while Lilly's other diabetes drug, Trulicity, earned $7.13 billion. The consensus on Visible Alpha is for Trulicity revenue to decline to $6.47 billion this year. Lilly is seeing delays in meeting orders for the drug, which are expected to continue, the company said last month.

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