Eli Lilly joins the chase for hot inflammation target, spending $100 million for rights to CSL drug
Eli Lilly has been looking for drugs to follow the path blazed by its best-selling cardiometabolic drugs. The pharmaceutical company's latest pipeline-building deal pays $100 million for rights to clinical-stage CSL Limited drugs that address increasingly competing targets related to chronic inflammation.
Under the terms of the deal announced late Tuesday, CSL retains rights to the drug, clazakizumab, for the prevention of cardiovascular events in patients with end-stage renal disease, while Eli Lilly acquires rights for other indications. Eli Lilly has not disclosed its antibody program, but cardiovascular disease has become an area of particular interest for the company and the focus of clinical-stage programs in the clazakizumab drug class.
Clazakizumab is a monoclonal antibody designed to bind to and block IL-6, a signaling protein that plays a role in inflammation when overdosed. While FDA-approved antibody drugs that block this target are already on the market to treat certain inflammatory diseases, there is renewed interest in expanding this approach to more diseases, particularly inflammation that leads to cardiovascular disease.
Novo Nordisk's IL-6 inhibitor Ziltivekimab came from its $725 million acquisition of Corvidia Therapeutics in 2020. In the hands of Novo Nordisk, the antibody has entered Phase 3 testing in three cardiovascular indications: atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), heart failure with preserved ejection fraction, and acute myocardial infarction. Meanwhile, Novartis spent $1.4 billion to acquire Tourmaline Bio last year, joining the pursuit of IL-6 drugs. Pacibekitug is the core long-acting antibody drug of this transaction and is currently in the second phase of development for ASCVD. The drugs used for these indications are daily tablets that must be taken over a long period of time, and compliance with this drug regimen may be diminished. In addition to introducing a new mechanism of action, long-acting injectables that do not need to be taken regularly could improve medication compliance.
Clazakizumab was originally developed by Vitaeris, which is working with CSL subsidiary CSL Behring to develop the drug to prevent organ transplant rejection. CSL Behring acquired Vitaeris in 2020. In 2024, CSL terminated a Phase 3 organ transplant study after an interim analysis concluded the trial was unlikely to succeed. Even so, the company isn't giving up on the drug. Overproduction of IL-6 is associated with many inflammatory conditions. CSL is conducting a Phase 3 study evaluating the drug's ability to prevent cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in end-stage renal disease.
Eli Lilly, a long-time leader in diabetes drugs, is expanding its reach into obesity with blockbuster drug Zepbound. That product and type 2 diabetes drug Mounjaro together will account for more than half of Eli Lilly's $65.1 billion in revenue in 2025, and the company said in its annual report that it expects cardiometabolic health products to continue to be “an important and growing part of our business, revenue and prospects.”
The cardiometabolic health segment of Eli Lilly's pipeline includes the small interfering RNA drug lepodisiran and the oral small molecule muvalaplin, both of which are in late-stage development for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Eli Lilly has been adding more potential customers through commercial deals.
Last year, Eli Lilly spent $1 billion to acquire Verve Therapeutics, the pharmaceutical company's partner in developing gene-editing drugs that shut down genes that code for proteins that drive cardiovascular disease. Last month's $1.4 billion agreement to acquire Ventyx Biosciences will bring VTX3232, a small molecule inhibitor of the NLRP3 inflammasome, a protein complex associated with inflammation. The deal comes after Ventyx reported results from a Phase 2 study in October showing the drug led to rapid and sustained reductions in protein levels associated with cardiovascular disease risk.
“In the long term, the durability of our cardiometabolic health products and the sustainability of our growth and prospects will depend on our ability to maintain or strengthen our competitive position as the therapeutic areas evolve and to deliver further innovations that provide sufficient value to sustain our growth momentum,” Eli Lilly said in its annual report.
In addition to Eli Lilly's $100 million upfront payment, CSL is eligible to receive milestone payments related to clazakizumab's progress. Financial details of those payments were not disclosed. CSL could also receive royalties from its sales of clazakizumab if Eli Lilly is able to commercialize it.
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