Eli Lilly to buy Merida Biosciences for up to US$2.88 billion in autoimmune drug push

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  "signal_type": "news",
  "signal_subtype": "acquires",
  "detected_at": "2026-08-31T11:58:20+00:00",
  "company": {
    "name": "Eli Lilly",
    "domain": "lilly.com"
  },
  "data": {
    "url": "https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/business/company-news/2026/08/31/eli-lilly-to-buy-merida-biosciences-in-deal-worth-up-to-us288-billion/",
    "title": "Eli Lilly to buy Merida Biosciences for up to US$2.88 billion in autoimmune drug push - BNN Bloomberg",
    "excerpt": "Eli Lilly said on Monday it would acquire privately held Merida Biosciences for up to US$2.88 billion in cash, strengthening its immunology portfolio with an experimental treatment for thyroid-related autoimmune conditions. Lilly has been on an acquisition spree following windfall profits from the success of its weight-loss drugs. Its deal spending in 2026 has outpaced that in the prior years, as the pharma giant aims to expand beyond obesity and diabetes. Merida is developing a new class of precision therapeutics to selectively target antibodies that cause a range of immunity-related conditions. Its lead drug candidate, MER511, is in the early stage of development for autoimmune disorders such as Graves’ disease and thyroid eye disease. “We’re building our pipeline around therapies that meaningfully change the course of disease, not just its downstream effects,” said Francisco Ramírez-Valle, senior vice president, Lilly immunology research and early clinical development. “Merida’s lead program is designed to do exactly that.” Lilly said the deal for Merida includes an upfront amount and payments contingent on meeting certain milestones, but did not disclose the details. The company expects the transaction to close in the fourth quarter. We see this acquisition as further evidence of management’s intent to diversify Lilly’s pipeline beyond obesity, said Leerink Partners...",
    "summary": "Eli Lilly and Company will acquire privately held Merida Biosciences for up to US$2.88 billion in cash to expand its immunology portfolio.",
    "planning": true,
    "image_url": "https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/resizer/v2/CBNAXUJWFRFB7KXRZ7S3TJF56M.jpg?smart=true&auth=118d754fe4cec6d527d2c718e54d04245e9a4e122256e5357ae02537265c5c15&width=1200&height=630",
    "confidence": 0.95,
    "published_at": "2026-08-31T11:58:20Z",
    "article_sentence": "Eli Lilly said on Monday it would acquire privately held Merida Biosciences for up to US$2.88 billion in cash, strengthening its immunology portfolio with an experimental treatment for thyroid-related autoimmune conditions.",
    "amount_normalized": 2880000000,
    "related_company_name": "Merida Biosciences",
    "related_company_domain": "thirdrockventures.com"
  }
}

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  -d '{"domain":"lilly.com","limit":20}'