Eli Lilly's $1.12B Deal with Seamless Therapeutics
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Jan 28 2026
0mins
Should l Buy LLY?
Eli Lilly's stock has hit a 20-day low, reflecting investor caution amid recent market developments.
The company has entered into a significant global research and licensing agreement worth up to $1.12 billion with Seamless Therapeutics, focusing on gene editing treatments for hearing loss. This collaboration includes exclusive licensing rights for the development of recombinases, which are crucial for therapeutic gene editing. Despite the potential of this deal, Eli Lilly's stock fell nearly 3% as market sentiment remains cautious ahead of the upcoming earnings report.
This partnership highlights Eli Lilly's commitment to advancing innovative treatments, but the current stock decline suggests that investors are wary of broader market conditions and the company's near-term performance.
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Analyst Views on LLY
Wall Street analysts forecast LLY stock price to rise over the next 12 months. According to Wall Street analysts, the average 1-year price target for LLY is 1192 USD with a low forecast of 950.00 USD and a high forecast of 1500 USD. However, analyst price targets are subjective and often lag stock prices, so investors should focus on the objective reasons behind analyst rating changes, which better reflect the company's fundamentals.
20 Analyst Rating
18 Buy
2 Hold
0 Sell
Strong Buy
Current: 1020.840
Low
950.00
Averages
1192
High
1500
Current: 1020.840
Low
950.00
Averages
1192
High
1500
About LLY
Eli Lilly and Company is a medicine company, which discovers, develops, manufactures, markets, and sells pharmaceutical products worldwide. Its cardiometabolic health products include Basaglar; Humalog, Humalog Mix 75/25, Humalog U-100, Humalog U-200, Humalog Mix 50/50, insulin lispro, and others; Humulin, Humulin 70/30, and others; Jardiance; Mounjaro; Trulicity; Zepbound; VERVE-102; VERVE-201, and VERVE-301. Its oncology products include Cyramza, Erbitux, Tyvyt, and Verzenio. Its immunology products include Ebglyss, Olumiant, Omvoh, and Taltz. Its neuroscience products include Emgality and Kisunla. The Company is also engaged in radiopharmaceutical discovery, development, and manufacturing efforts, and clinical and pre-clinical radioligand therapies in development for the treatment of cancer. It is also developing an oral small molecule inhibitor of a4b7 integrin for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). It is evaluating its novel gene therapy candidate, ixoberogene soroparvovec.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
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- Overall Performance Exceeds Expectations: The company reported a 43% increase in total revenue to $19.29 billion for Q4, with adjusted earnings per share (EPS) jumping 42% to $7.54, significantly surpassing analyst expectations of $6.67, reflecting the company's competitive edge and profitability.
- Optimistic Future Outlook: Eli Lilly projects 2026 revenue between $80 billion and $83 billion, representing a 25% growth at the midpoint, and forecasts adjusted EPS ranging from $33.50 to $35, demonstrating confidence in future market demand.
- Huge Potential for New Drug: The upcoming oral GLP-1 drug orforglipron is expected to gain approval in Q2, and its convenient administration method positions Eli Lilly to further expand its market share in the GLP-1 drug sector, reinforcing the company's leadership in weight-loss medications.
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- Financial Performance Exceeds Expectations: The company reported a 43% increase in total revenue for Q4, reaching $19.29 billion, with adjusted earnings per share (EPS) jumping 42% to $7.54, significantly surpassing analyst expectations of $6.67, reflecting its competitive edge and profitability in the market.
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- New Drug Potential: The upcoming GLP-1 drug orforglipron is expected to gain approval in Q2, and as an oral medication, it has the potential to rapidly expand market share, meeting the increasing demand for weight-loss drugs and further driving the company's performance growth.
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- Development Responsibilities: Under the agreement, Innovent will lead early-stage research and clinical development in China, while Lilly will handle development and commercialization outside Greater China, ensuring that both companies leverage their strengths effectively.
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- Rising Medicare Costs: The standard Medicare Part B premium will increase from $185 to $202.90 in 2026, while the annual deductible will rise by $26 to $283, negatively impacting retirees' disposable income, especially as Social Security cost-of-living adjustments may not keep pace with these increases.
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- Medicare Advantage Market Turmoil: Major insurers like Humana and UnitedHealth have withdrawn Medicare Advantage offerings in hundreds of counties, leading to reduced services and limited networks, with CEOs warning that future payment increases may have a “profoundly negative impact” on seniors' benefits and access to care.
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- Significant Sales Growth: Eli Lilly's GLP-1 weight-loss drugs generated $7.4 billion in Q4 sales, a 110% increase, while Zepbound's revenue surged from $1.9 billion to $4.3 billion, indicating strong market demand and product acceptance.
- Overall Performance Exceeds Expectations: The company reported a 43% increase in total revenue to $19.29 billion for Q4, with adjusted earnings per share (EPS) jumping 42% to $7.54, significantly surpassing analyst expectations of $6.67, reflecting the company's competitive edge and profitability.
- Optimistic Future Outlook: Eli Lilly projects 2026 revenue between $80 billion and $83 billion, representing a 25% growth at the midpoint, and forecasts adjusted EPS ranging from $33.50 to $35, demonstrating confidence in future market demand.
- Huge Potential for New Drug: The upcoming oral GLP-1 drug orforglipron is expected to gain approval in Q2, and its convenient administration method positions Eli Lilly to further expand its market share in the GLP-1 drug sector, reinforcing the company's leadership in weight-loss medications.
See More
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- Regulatory Pressure Halts Sales: Hims announced the cessation of its $49 compounded semaglutide pill following FDA scrutiny, demonstrating the company's swift response to legal threats, even as retail sentiment remains optimistic.
- FDA Action Raises Legal Risks: The FDA plans to restrict access to GLP-1 ingredients in compounded drugs and refer Hims to the Department of Justice, indicating significant compliance challenges that could impact the company's future market performance.
- Competitors Push Back: Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly strongly criticized Hims' compounded drug as illegal, threatening legal action to protect their intellectual property, which may intensify market competition and affect Hims' brand image.
- Market Sentiment Remains Bullish: Despite Hims' stock price dropping about 30% year-to-date, retail investor sentiment on Stocktwits is still 'extremely bullish', reflecting confidence in the company's future potential and possibly attracting more investor attention in the short term.
See More
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- Strategic Collaboration: Innovent Biologics (IVBXF, 1801.HK) has announced its seventh strategic partnership with Eli Lilly, further solidifying their long-standing relationship and commitment to developing innovative therapies globally.
- Unique Development Model: This collaboration introduces a unique model designed to accelerate the global development of Innovent's pipeline, with Innovent leveraging its robust antibody technology platforms and efficient clinical execution capabilities to lead development from concept through Phase 2 clinical trials in China.
- Significant Financial Upside: Under the agreement, Innovent will receive an upfront payment of $350 million and is eligible for up to $8.5 billion in development, regulatory, and commercial milestone payments, highlighting the potential financial benefits of this partnership.
- Global Market Rights: Eli Lilly will gain exclusive rights to develop and commercialize these programs globally outside of Greater China, while Innovent retains commercialization rights within Greater China, ensuring maximized interests for both parties in their respective markets.
See More
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- Significant Sales Growth: Eli Lilly's GLP-1 weight-loss drugs saw a remarkable 110% surge in Q4 sales to $7.4 billion, while Zepbound's revenue soared from $1.9 billion to $4.3 billion, indicating the company's strong growth potential in the weight-loss drug market.
- Financial Performance Exceeds Expectations: The company reported a 43% increase in total revenue for Q4, reaching $19.29 billion, with adjusted earnings per share (EPS) jumping 42% to $7.54, significantly surpassing analyst expectations of $6.67, reflecting its competitive edge and profitability in the market.
- Optimistic Future Outlook: Eli Lilly projects 2026 revenue between $80 billion and $83 billion, representing a 25% growth at the midpoint, and forecasts adjusted EPS ranging from $33.50 to $35, both exceeding market consensus, showcasing confidence in future growth.
- New Drug Potential: The upcoming GLP-1 drug orforglipron is expected to gain approval in Q2, and as an oral medication, it has the potential to rapidly expand market share, meeting the increasing demand for weight-loss drugs and further driving the company's performance growth.
See More
Innovent and Eli Lilly Sign Cancer Drug Development Agreement
- Partnership Continuation: Innovent has signed its seventh collaboration agreement with Eli Lilly to jointly develop experimental medicines targeting cancer and immune-related diseases, further solidifying their partnership that spans over a decade.
- Development Responsibilities: Under the agreement, Innovent will lead early-stage research and clinical development in China, while Lilly will handle development and commercialization outside Greater China, ensuring that both companies leverage their strengths effectively.
- Financial Support: Innovent will receive an upfront payment of $350 million and is eligible for additional milestone payments totaling up to $8.5 billion, highlighting the significant economic potential of this collaboration.
- Market Outlook: This partnership aims to accelerate global drug development by combining Innovent's antibody discovery platform with Lilly's late-stage development capabilities, advancing multiple pipeline assets to mid-stage clinical testing and enhancing market competitiveness.
See More
Overview of Medicare Changes for Retirees in 2026
- Drug Cost Reduction: Thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act, retirees will see significant reductions in prescription drug costs starting in 2026, with price negotiations for the first ten drugs taking effect on January 1, 2026, alleviating financial burdens and improving overall financial health for retirees.
- Rising Medicare Costs: The standard Medicare Part B premium will increase from $185 to $202.90 in 2026, while the annual deductible will rise by $26 to $283, negatively impacting retirees' disposable income, especially as Social Security cost-of-living adjustments may not keep pace with these increases.
- Impact on High-Income Retirees: High-income retirees will face a 9% increase in the income-related monthly adjustment amount (IRMAA) in 2026, with income thresholds rising by about 3%, meaning more retirees will encounter higher healthcare costs, further straining their financial resources.
- Medicare Advantage Market Turmoil: Major insurers like Humana and UnitedHealth have withdrawn Medicare Advantage offerings in hundreds of counties, leading to reduced services and limited networks, with CEOs warning that future payment increases may have a “profoundly negative impact” on seniors' benefits and access to care.
See More
