INDIANAPOLIS – Eli Lilly and Company has completed its acquisition of Centessa Pharmaceuticals, strengthening the drugmaker’s neuroscience pipeline and broadening its efforts to develop new treatments for narcolepsy and other sleep-wake disorders.
Centessa is developing orexin receptor 2 agonists, an emerging class of medicines that target the orexin system, which plays a critical role in regulating wakefulness, alertness and sleep stability. Lilly said the acquisition will support continued development of the company’s clinical-stage portfolio for narcolepsy and potentially for a broader range of conditions associated with disrupted sleep.
“The orexin system plays a fundamental role in human brain health, governing wakefulness, alertness, and the stability of sleep in ways that, when disrupted, can be profoundly disabling,” said Carole Ho, executive vice president and president of Lilly Neuroscience at Eli Lilly and Company. “For people living with narcolepsy, that disruption is severe and life-altering. Orexin’s reach extends further to diseases impacted by disrupted sleep, and so does the unmet need. Centessa has built a clinical portfolio with the depth to explore both, and Lilly intends to pursue that potential with urgency.”
The acquisition underscores Lilly’s growing focus on neuroscience and central nervous system disorders, complementing the company’s investments in treatments addressing unmet medical needs. By bringing Centessa’s orexin-based programs in-house, Lilly aims to accelerate the development of therapies that could improve wakefulness and quality of life for patients with narcolepsy and related disorders.
Financial terms of the completed transaction were not disclosed.
Centessa is developing orexin receptor 2 agonists, an emerging class of medicines that target the orexin system, which plays a critical role in regulating wakefulness, alertness and sleep stability. Lilly said the acquisition will support continued development of the company’s clinical-stage portfolio for narcolepsy and potentially for a broader range of conditions associated with disrupted sleep.
“The orexin system plays a fundamental role in human brain health, governing wakefulness, alertness, and the stability of sleep in ways that, when disrupted, can be profoundly disabling,” said Carole Ho, executive vice president and president of Lilly Neuroscience at Eli Lilly and Company. “For people living with narcolepsy, that disruption is severe and life-altering. Orexin’s reach extends further to diseases impacted by disrupted sleep, and so does the unmet need. Centessa has built a clinical portfolio with the depth to explore both, and Lilly intends to pursue that potential with urgency.”
The acquisition underscores Lilly’s growing focus on neuroscience and central nervous system disorders, complementing the company’s investments in treatments addressing unmet medical needs. By bringing Centessa’s orexin-based programs in-house, Lilly aims to accelerate the development of therapies that could improve wakefulness and quality of life for patients with narcolepsy and related disorders.
Financial terms of the completed transaction were not disclosed.
To learn more, visit Lilly.com and Lilly.com/news, or follow Lilly on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
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