Eli Lilly accelerates acquisitions as weight‑loss drug Retatrutide cuts weight by 28%

Eli Lilly disclosed that it has completed 13 acquisitions in 2026, including 4E Therapeutics, Curevo, LimmaTech Biologics and The Vaccine Company, to broaden its pipeline beyond opioids and vaccines. The company’s experimental obesity drug Retatrutide achieved an average 28.3 % weight loss (about 70 lb) after 80 weeks in the phase‑3 TRIUMPH‑1 trial.

In the first quarter of 2026, Lilly reported revenue of $19.8 billion, a 55.5 % year‑over‑year increase, driven by its diabetes/obesity products Mounjaro and Zepbound. The stock traded around €961.90, down 0.5 % on the day but up roughly 40 % for the year. At the same time, the firm halved its investment in Germany in response to revised European drug‑pricing policies.

Analysts note the dual strategy of aggressive pipeline‑shopping and cost discipline, seeing both the acquisition spree and the promising trial data as key catalysts for future growth.