The acquisition adds Centessa’s clinical-stage orexin receptor 2 agonists to Lilly’s pipeline, targeting narcolepsy and other sleep-wake disorders.

Key takeaways:

  • Eli Lilly and Company has successfully acquired clinical-stage company Centessa Pharmaceuticals.
  • The acquisition focuses on advancing the development of orexin receptor 2 agonists.
  • These medicines are being developed to treat narcolepsy and potentially other sleep-wake disorders.

Eli Lilly and Company has completed its acquisition of Centessa Pharmaceuticals plc.

Centessa is a clinical-stage company developing orexin receptor 2 agonists as a new class of medicines for the treatment of narcolepsy and potentially other sleep-wake disorders.

“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,” says Carole Ho, MD, executive vice president and president, Lilly Neuroscience, in a release. “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.”

In a LinkedIn post, Mario Alberto Accardi, PhD, CEO at Centessa Pharmaceuticals, said, “After years of building, believing and delivering — Centessa is now officially part of Eli Lilly and Company.

“With the close of our acquisition, we are entering an exciting new phase for our orexin pipeline — bringing together Centessa’s deep expertise, team and science with Lilly’s global scale, neuroscience leadership and commitment to advancing innovative medicines for patients.

“From the beginning, we have believed in the potential of orexin biology to change how sleep-wake and other neurological conditions are treated. Thanks to the incredible work of this team, we have built what I believe is a deep orexin research portfolio.

“Importantly, this transition is not about handing off the work we started — it is about accelerating it. I am incredibly proud that our team will continue this journey together as part of Lilly, and I am honored to keep leading this effort in its next chapter.”

More on Centessa Pharmaceuticals:

Centessa’s Orexin Agonist ORX750 Shows Efficacy in Narcolepsy, IH Trials
The Race Toward Orexin Agonists Targeting Narcolepsy’s Root Cause

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