Eli Lilly and Company has announced that it has purchased 4E Therapeutics, a neuroscience company that develops chronic pain treatments.
The acquisition of 4E gives Lilly a pipeline of orally-available MNK inhibitors, compounds for chronic pain that target the MNK-3IF4E signaling pathway. By targeting peripheral sensory neurons rather than the central nervous system, drugs avoid issues that are often associated with opioid medications. The company’s lead compound is 4ET1103, which had a favorable safety profile in a phase 1 study. It is now the first MNK inhibitor to advance to human clinical trials.
Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
This is just one of several acquisitions Lilly has made recently. Others include a $1.2 billion deal signed in January to buy Ventyx Biosciences (picking up oral therapies for inflammatory-mediated diseases), a $2.4 billion deal inked in February to acquire Massachusetts-based Orna Therapeutics (picking up Orna’s in vivo CAR-T pipeline) and a $6.3 billion deal announced in March to acquire Centessa (picking up oral OX2R agonists for sleep-wake disorders).