Eli Lilly Shares Surge On Report Of Potential Ventyx Acquisition

Benzinga · 5d ago

Eli Lilly And Company (NYSE:LLY) shares are trading higher Wednesday following a report suggesting the company is nearing a deal for Ventyx Biosciences (NASDAQ:VTYX).

Eli Lilly stock is charging ahead with explosive momentum. What’s driving LLY stock higher?

What To Know: According to the Wall Street Journal, Eli Lilly is in advanced talks to acquire Ventyx Biosciences for more than $1 billion, citing people familiar with the matter.

Ventyx, which is based in San Diego, had a market cap of just over $500 million as of Tuesday afternoon. Indianapolis-based Lilly has a market capitalization of roughly $1 trillion.

Ventyx specializes in developing oral drugs for inflammatory diseases, including Crohn's disease and rheumatoid arthritis. Its drug candidates have also shown promise in treating neurodegenerative conditions such as Parkinson's disease, as well as certain heart-related conditions. One of the company's candidates is currently in mid-stage testing for cardiovascular disease associated with obesity.

Ventyx focuses on therapies targeting the NLRP3 protein complex, which plays a key role in inflammatory and immune responses. The company has two experimental drugs designed to inhibit excessive inflammatory activity linked to immune-related diseases.

LLY Price Action: At the time of writing, Eli Lilly shares are trading 3.81% higher at $1,104.45, according to data from Benzinga Pro.

Image via Shutterstock