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What's the Driving Force Behind Eli Lilly's Recent Acquisition Spree?
ZACKSยท 2025-10-29 13:25
Core Insights - Eli Lilly (LLY) is actively pursuing acquisitions to enhance its pipeline and drive long-term growth, focusing on cardiometabolic health while also expanding into oncology, neuroscience, and ophthalmology [1][11] Acquisition Details - Lilly announced an agreement to acquire Adverum Biotechnologies for under $300 million, which includes Ixo-vec, a gene therapy for vision loss related to wet age-related macular degeneration [2] - Other notable acquisitions this year include Scorpion Therapeutics for $2.5 billion, SiteOne Therapeutics for $1 billion, and Verve Therapeutics for $1.3 billion, all aimed at strengthening its therapeutic pipeline [3][11] Market Position - Lilly is a strong competitor in the GLP-1 drug market, with its tirzepatide injections experiencing rapid demand growth, which has provided the financial capacity to fund acquisitions [4][11] Industry Trends - The pharmaceutical industry is witnessing an increase in M&A activity, with major players like Novartis, Novo Nordisk, and Pfizer also making significant acquisitions to enhance their innovation pipelines [5][6][7][8] - Recent transactions indicate a shift towards selective, innovation-driven acquisitions rather than broad-scale consolidation, emphasizing long-term growth through precision science [9] Financial Performance - Lilly's shares have outperformed the industry year to date, although the company's valuation is considered high with a P/E ratio of 27.90 compared to the industry average of 15.57 [12][14] - EPS estimates for 2025 and 2026 have seen slight declines, indicating potential adjustments in future earnings expectations [15]