Lilly to Acquire Merida Biosciences, Adding Phase 1 Biologic to Immunology Pipeline
LLY sits 63% above its 52-week low of $712.05.
Summary
Lilly is acquiring Merida Biosciences, gaining lead biologic MER511 (Phase 1) plus preclinical immunology and allergy programs. The deal is expected to close in Q4 2026 pending regulatory approvals. This adds to over $25 billion in announced deals in 2026, funded by rising cash flow as Lilly expands beyond obesity and diabetes. Separately, Phase 3b TOGETHER-PsO/PsA 52-week data showed Taltz+Zepbound achieved clear skin plus ≥10% weight loss in 30.6% of psoriasis patients vs 4.4% for Taltz alone, and ACR50 plus ≥10% weight loss in 39.2% of PsA patients vs 1.7% for Taltz alone, with no new safety signals. The Merida acquisition strengthens Lilly's immunology pipeline, while the TOGETHER data supports combination use of its existing drugs. Watch for closing of the Merida deal in Q4 2026 and further pipeline updates.
At the time of this announcement, LLY was trading at $1,161.57 on NYSE in the Life Sciences sector, with a market capitalization of approximately $1.1T. The 52-week trading range was $712.05 to $1,292.65. This news item was assessed with positive market sentiment and an importance score of 8 out of 10. Source: Wiseek News.