Eli Lilly, Nimbus Sign AI Discovery Deal for Oral Obesity Drugs

Overview

• Nimbus will use its AI platform to identify candidates, while Lilly brings metabolic-disease expertise to develop an easy-to-take pill.
• The partners target pill alternatives to weekly injectables such as Lilly’s Mounjaro and Zepbound.
• Financial terms point to up to $1.355 billion in upfront and milestone payments, with additional royalties on future sales.
• The arrangement deepens a 2022 research and licensing relationship and follows Nimbus’s 2022 AI-derived asset sale to Takeda.
• The deal reflects growing use of AI in drug discovery and aligns with FDA efforts to reduce animal testing, as the weight-loss market is projected to top $150 billion annually by the early 2030s.