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Eli Lilly Takeover Push Gets Bigger With Merida Biosciences Deal!

Eli Lilly has extended its aggressive business-development push with an agreement to acquire privately held Merida Biosciences for up to $2.875 billion in cash, adding another emerging therapeutic platform to a pipeline that has expanded rapidly during 2026. Merida, which launched with $121 million in Series A financing, is developing precision therapeutics for serious autoimmune and allergic diseases, with its lead program already in Phase 1 development for Graves’ disease and thyroid eye disease. The transaction includes an undisclosed upfront payment and additional consideration tied to development milestones, with closing targeted by year-end. The move follows Lilly’s recent acquisitions across psychiatry, oncology, vaccines, sleep medicine, genetic medicine and other emerging areas, reinforcing management’s stated intention to remain active in business development while maintaining financial discipline. That strategy is being supported by rapid revenue growth, expanding margins and substantial cash generation from Lilly’s incretin franchise.