At the European Association for the Study of Diabetes meeting in Milan, Dave Ricks said Lilly is casting a wider net in science's "white spaces" and that future deals will likely look a bit larger, similar to its $7.8 billion Centessa Pharmaceuticals acquisition.
This year, Lilly bought three vaccine makers for as much as $3.8 billion and also agreed to acquire AtaiBeckley Inc., a psychedelics company, for roughly the same amount. Ricks called these steps "going a little bit bigger," and said Lilly likes more mature programs when they take on entirely new problems.
Lilly historically favored earlier-stage projects because they were cheaper, but the company has shown a new willingness to pay up for later-stage medicines that could sharpen its edge beyond obesity. Ricks said the company aims to move before major data readouts and ahead of any bidding wars. "What we like to do is look at data that's not yet mature and make a bet on it way before these companies are worth $5 billion," he said. "They're worth $500 million."
Lilly still wants to get in early, but it is comfortable stretching on size when the science opens new territory. Patent exclusivity on Mounjaro and Zepbound lasts for roughly another ten years, providing ample time to build new programs well before any revenue gaps emerge.
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Now the world's largest pharmaceutical company, Lilly is enjoying a windfall from its weight-loss and diabetes portfolio. Revenue is projected to reach $88 billion this year, propelled by injections of Mounjaro and Zepbound plus the obesity pill Foundayo. That cushion eases deal timing.
"We don't have a time crunch," Ricks told Bloomberg. He said financial pressure can push companies into hurried deals, describing it as "shopping when you're hungry," which can lead to mistakes.
Ricks is less focused on conventional shareholder-return methods. "We have a choice here to reinvest in productive areas outside of obesity with that return, or buy back shares and issue dividends," he said. "It's much more interesting to reinvest in human health."
Ricks says the company is at about 40 deals to date this year. Data compiled by Bloomberg puts the total value at more than $20 billion, a record for the company. If these bets unlock new markets in infectious disease, women's health or mental health, Lilly could broaden its growth engine beyond weight-loss drugs, which is exactly the kind of diversification long-term holders look for.
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