What Eli Lilly Gets With CoLucid Acquisition

By Trey Thoelcke Updated Jan 12, 3:47PM EST · Published Jan 18, 7:40AM EST

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What Eli Lilly Gets With CoLucid Acquisition — © Thinkstock

Eli Lilly and Co. (NYSE: LLY) has announced it has reached an agreement to acquire CoLucid Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: CLCD) in an all-cash transaction for $46.50 per share, or about $960 million. This not only will enhance Eli Lilly’s existing portfolio in pain management for migraine, but it also adds a potential near-term launch to its late-stage pipeline.

CoLucid Pharmaceuticals is a biopharmaceutical company developing an oral 5-HT1F agonist (lasmiditan) for the acute treatment of migraine. It has completed the first of two pivotal Phase 3 trials, and a data read-out for the second is expected in the second half of 2017. If this trial is positive, submission of lasmiditan for U.S. regulatory approval could occur in 2018.

Lasmiditan was originally discovered at Lilly and was out-licensed to CoLucid in 2005. CoLucid also is developing IV lasmiditan, which is in Phase 2 clinical trial for the acute treatment of headache pain associated with migraine in adults in emergency room and other urgent care settings.

Eli Lilly is a top pick at both Merrill Lynch and JPMorgan for its big upside potential. Argus just reiterated its Buy rating on the shares yesterday, citing the company’s strong product pipeline. The stock also has been identified as ideal for long-term retirement accounts looking to generate solid total return.

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Eli Lilly is a global health care company with numerous core products in a number of primary-care pharmaceutical markets. The company generates revenues from its pharmaceutical product and animal health segments.

The product portfolio includes Zyprexa (for schizophrenia and bipolar disorder), Gemzar (pancreatic cancer), Evista (osteoporosis), Cymbalta (depression), Cialis (erectile dysfunction), Strattera (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder), Erbitux (cancer) and Alimta (chemotherapy). Eli Lilly also has a strong presence in the diabetes market.

Top analysts on Wall Street remain very focused on the company’s outstanding late-stage product pipeline, which they view as very undervalued.

Eli Lilly shareholders receive a 2.7% dividend. The consensus target is $85.19, but shares closed Tuesday at $76.85, in a 52-week range of $64.18 to $83.79.

CoLucid shares jumped more than 32% in premarket trading to $46.30. The 52-week trading range was $4.57 to $40.80.

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About the Author Trey Thoelcke →

Trey has been an editor and author at 24/7 Wall St. for more than a decade, where he has published thousands of articles analyzing corporate earnings, dividend stocks, short interest, insider buying, private equity, and market trends. His comprehensive coverage spans the full spectrum of financial markets, from blue-chip stalwarts to emerging growth companies.

Beyond 24/7 Wall St., Trey has created and edited financial content for Benzinga and AOL's BloggingStocks, contributing additional hundreds of articles to the investment community. He previously oversaw the 24/7 Climate Insights site, managing editorial operations and content strategy, and currently oversees and creates content for My Investing News.

Trey's editorial expertise extends across multiple publishing environments. He served as production editor at Dearborn Financial Publishing and development editor at Kaplan, where he helped shape financial education materials. Earlier in his career, he worked as a writer-producer at SVE. His freelance editing portfolio includes work for prestigious clients such as Sage Publications, Rand McNally, the Institute for Supply Management, the American Library Association, Eggplant Literary Productions, and Spiegel.

Outside of financial journalism, Trey writes fiction and has been an active member of the writing community for years, overseeing a long-running critique group and moderating workshop sessions at regional conventions. He lives with his family in an old house in the Midwest.