WATCHLONGEVITY

Sunday, June 21, 2026

Lilly, Gilead lead pharma’s M&A boom
Importance
42
Trust
66
Urgency
30
DEAL

Lilly, Gilead lead pharma’s M&A boom

Analysis

Lilly is spending GLP-1 drug profits on buyouts. Terns was bought by Merck, not a peptide play.

  • Lilly made 3 deals in 2026 with $10.8B total upfront payments, funded by GLP-1 drug revenue
  • Merck bought Terns Pharmaceuticals for its CML drug, not a peptide program
  • 24 pharma deals closed Jan–Apr 2026 vs 14 in same period 2025; upfront value: $64B vs $24.5B
$LLY$TERN
glp-1 drugsEli LillyGilead SciencesSun Pharma
BioPharma Dive1mo
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BREAKING
Importance
88
Trust
71
Urgency
95
COMMERCIAL

Trump says U.S. to provide GLP-1 drugs for Medicare patients - Reuters

Trump announced the U.S. government will provide GLP-1 drugs (weight-loss and diabetes medicines) to Medicare patients. The plan would help older Americans access expensive medications like Ozempic and Wegovy at lower cost.

Analysis

Medicare paying for GLP-1 drugs would open a huge new group of buyers for Novo and Lilly. Older Americans could get Ozempic and Wegovy at lower cost.

  • Trump said the US will provide GLP-1 drugs to Medicare patients
  • Plan covers weight-loss and diabetes medicines like Ozempic and Wegovy
  • Goal is to lower drug costs for older Americans
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glp-1 drugs
Reuters Health1mo
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