Eli Lilly (NYSE: LLY) and (NYSE: MRK) are both among the largest biopharmaceutical businesses in the world, but their growth prospects aren't exactly the same. Nonetheless, the pair handily outperformed the market over the last 12 months, with Eli Lilly's total return rising by 73%, and Merck's climbing by 25%. But only one of them is likely to have a shot at outperforming over the next few years.

Let's explore which of the pair is the better pharma growth stock, so that you can see whether one or both could be a beneficial pickup for your portfolio.

The case for Eli Lilly being the better pharma growth stock rests on the medications that it's planning to commercialize within the next year or so, as well as on the continued expansion of one of its freshly launched high-earning drugs.

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Source Fool.com