Missed Eli Lilly? Two Healthcare Stocks with Major Catalysts Ahead

Eli Lilly’s recent surge in diabetes and obesity treatments has left many investors looking for the next healthcare winners. If you missed that rally, two other names — Novo Nordisk and Moderna — are positioned for meaningful catalysts that could drive share-price momentum in the months ahead.

Novo Nordisk remains a leader in GLP-1 therapies and obesity care. Its semaglutide franchise has transformed expectations for weight-management revenue, and investors are watching for continued sales growth, new label expansions, and geographic rollouts. Upcoming quarterly reports and any updates on pediatric indications or payer coverage could accelerate adoption and reduce supply constraints. Novo’s scale and established cardiometabolic pipeline make it a less binary, more predictable play compared with earlier-stage biotech, but it still faces pricing scrutiny and competitive pressure that could influence near-term performance.

Moderna offers a different risk-reward profile rooted in its mRNA platform. Beyond COVID-19 boosters, Moderna is advancing candidates for seasonal influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), with pivotal data and regulatory milestones on the radar. Success in these programs would expand Moderna’s addressable market and validate its platform for routine vaccines. Investors should watch clinical readouts, regulatory filings, and commercialization plans — each could act as a clear catalyst for the stock. However, execution risk, manufacturing scale-up and shifting public-health guidance add volatility.

How to think about positioning: Novo Nordisk may suit investors seeking exposure to secular growth in chronic disease management with lower binary risk. Moderna could appeal to growth-oriented investors comfortable with clinical and regulatory milestones that can produce sharp moves in either direction. Diversification, position sizing and a clear timeline for expected catalysts are critical.

Neither pick is a guaranteed winner; biotech and pharma stocks carry unique regulatory and market risks. But for investors who missed Eli Lilly’s run, Novo Nordisk and Moderna present distinct pathways to upside — one through steady commercialization and label expansion, the other through platform-enabled vaccine innovation and upcoming trial outcomes.