Eli Lilly Inks Up To $1.3B Deal With Superluminal Medicines To Develop Obesity Drugs

Eli Lilly (LLY) has entered into a deal worth up to $1.3 billion with drug discovery company Superluminal Medicines to advance small molecule therapeutics relevant to cardiometabolic diseases and obesity, Superluminal said on Thursday.

The collaboration will bring together Superluminal’s drug discovery platform together with Lilly’s expertise in small molecule development and commercialization, Superluminal said. The platform integrates deep structural biology, machine learning, and proprietary pharmacokinetic and toxicology prediction tools, the company added.

Lilly will receive exclusive rights to develop and commercialize compounds arising from the collaboration after privately-held Superluminal delivers the development candidates. The development candidates will target undisclosed G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) relevant to cardiometabolic diseases and obesity. GPCRs are a large and diverse family of cell surface receptors that play a crucial role in cell signaling.

On Stocktwits, retail sentiment around LLY fell from ‘extremely bullish’ to ‘bullish’ territory over the past 24 hours, while message volume remained at ‘extremely high’ levels. According to Stocktwits data, retail chatter around LLY has jumped 430% over the past 30 days.

Superluminal is eligible to receive up to $1.3 billion under the deal, including upfront and near-term payments, an equity investment, development and commercial milestones, and tiered royalties on net sales.

“We are very excited to be embarking on this collaboration just as we begin to advance our internal drug candidate targeting rare genetic forms of obesity and hypothalamic obesity…,” CEO of Superluminal Cony D’Cruz said. Superluminal’s lead program for the treatment of obesity is expected to enter clinical trials in 2026.

Superluminal, headquartered in Boston, is backed by names including RA Capital Management, Insight Partners, NVentures, Catalio Capital Management, Gaingels, and Cooley.

LLY stock is down by 14% this year and by about 29% over the past 12 months. 

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