Eli Lilly announced agreements to acquire Curevo, LimmaTech Biologics and Vaccine Company as the drugmaker seeks to broaden its infectious disease research and development portfolio.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom,
Eli Lilly announced Tuesday that it plans to acquire three vaccine companies in deals totaling about $4 billion, marking a major expansion of the drugmaker’s research and development efforts in infectious diseases.
The company agreed to buy Curevo for $1.5 billion, LimmaTech Biologics for $780 million and Vaccine Company for $1.55 billion, according to CNBC.
The acquisitions are intended to strengthen Eli Lilly’s position in vaccine development and prevention-focused medicine. The company said the transactions align with a broader strategy to expand beyond treatments for disease and invest more heavily in products designed to stop infections before they cause illness.
“These acquisitions reflect a deliberate strategy to prevent disease at its source rather than treat its consequences,” Daniel Skovronsky, chief scientific and product officer and president, said in a statement.
Investors responded modestly to the announcement. Eli Lilly shares rose 0.9% shortly after markets opened Tuesday.
The planned purchases would bring three vaccine-focused businesses under one of the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies at a time when major drugmakers are competing to expand research pipelines and diversify growth areas.
Curevo, LimmaTech Biologics and Vaccine Company would add vaccine assets and scientific capabilities to Eli Lilly’s infectious disease platform. The company framed the deals as part of a long-term research strategy focused on prevention, a shift that could broaden its portfolio beyond its existing drug development priorities.
The agreements remain part of Eli Lilly’s broader push to build out its next stage of product development through targeted acquisitions. The combined $4 billion investment signals the company’s intent to make infectious disease prevention a larger part of its future business.