May 26 (Reuters) – Eli Lilly said on Tuesday it will buy three vaccine developers in deals worth up to nearly $4 billion in combined value, signaling its push into infectious disease prevention.
The U.S. drugmaker said it had agreed to acquire Curevo, LimmaTech Biologics and Vaccine Company.
The company has been on an acquisition spree, boosted by cash from the booming demand for its obesity drugs. Its deal spending in 2026 has outpaced that in the prior years.
Lilly shares were up over 1% in premarket trading.
The deals mark the U.S. drugmaker’s renewed move into the infectious disease space, which was largely sidelined in recent years as Lilly focused on expanding its other pipelines.
“These acquisitions reflect a deliberate strategy to prevent disease at its source rather than treat its consequences,” said Daniel Skovronsky, Lilly’s chief scientific and product officer.
“We think this is a well-balanced foray into a new area and note each company’s lead asset could bring substantial market opportunity and platform validation for future products,” said Citi analyst Geoffrey Meacham.
He added the focus of each of the vaccine developers highlights viral pathogens linked to long-term neurological and oncology risks, which are in-line with Lilly’s existing interests.
Curevo shareholders could receive up to $1.5 billion in cash, inclusive of an upfront payment, and a subsequent payment on achieving specified milestones. The company is developing amezosvatein, a vaccine for the prevention of shingles in adults.
Lilly will acquire LimmaTech, which is developing vaccines against bacterial pathogens, for up to $780 million in cash, inclusive of an upfront payment and additional potential payments based upon the achievement of certain milestones.
The company’s lead program, LTB-SA7, is in early-stage development as a vaccine against S. aureus, the leading cause of surgical-site infection.
Vaccine Company is developing a vaccine against Epstein-Barr virus, a very common and highly contagious infection. Lilly agreed to pay up to $1.55 billion, inclusive of an upfront payment and potential clinical and commercial milestone payments.
The Wall Street Journal reported the deals earlier on Tuesday.
(Reporting by Sriparna Roy in Bengaluru; Editing by Shinjini Ganguli)
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