8legs: Jacob s. van naarden

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Eli Lilly's top dealmaker says don't be surprised to see more M&A that pushes Lilly into new areas

Lilly is using GLP-1 windfall strength to fund a broader dealmaking strategy across multiple disease areas.
Jacob S. Van Naarden, Lilly’s EVP and head of oncology, now also leads corporate development to sharpen dealmaking.
Lilly plans to spend up to $25 billion on up to eight acquisitions this year.
The company’s market capitalization is around $1 trillion, up from $190 billion in 2021.
Lilly is diversifying beyond its traditional early bets to include broader opportunities across several therapeutic areas.
Lilly’s 2026 deals include a $1.9 billion collaboration with Ascidian Therapeutics for kidney diseases.
Lilly aims to redeploy capital across oncology, neuroscience, cardiometabolic health and immunology.
Lilly’s leadership says the size of deals hinges on science quality and patient impact, not arbitrary limits.
Lilly joined the trillion-dollar club as it grows into the world’s largest pharmaceutical company.
The strategy shift reflects Lilly’s transition from early bets to larger, more certain investments.

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