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April 30 (Reuters) - Eli Lilly raised its annual profit forecast and posted better-than-expected first quarter ‌on Thursday, on steady demand for its weight-loss ‌and diabetes drugs Zepbound and Mounjaro, in its first results ​since launching oral GLP-1 pill Foundayo.

Investor expectations for Lilly are anchored around whether the U.S. drugmaker can keep translating demand for its obesity and diabetes drugs into ‌revenue while navigating ⁠lower prices, government deals and the rollout of its weight-loss pill. Lilly's once-daily oral weight-loss ⁠drug, Foundayo, was launched earlier this month and was prescribed 3,707 times in the U.S. in the ​week ended ​April 17, below analysts' ​expectations closer to around ‌8,000. Investors are closely watching the rollout as a key test of whether Lilly can gain market share from rival Novo, which has had a first-mover advantage in the oral weight-loss drug market.

"Foundayo will meaningfully expand ‌the number of people who ​can benefit from GLP-1s," CEO ​David Ricks said ​in a statement.

Lilly expects to earn $35.50 to $37.00 ‌per share on an adjusted ​basis this ​year, compared to its prior view of $33.50 to $35 per share profit.

Analysts were expecting a profit of $34.55 ​per share ‌for 2026, according to data compiled by LSEG.

(Reporting ​by Christy Santhosh and Mrinalika Roy in Bengaluru; ​Editing by Arun Koyyur)