News
Eli Lilly seals Centessa acquisition as it bets big on next-gen sleep disorder drugs
Centessa is a clinical-stage biotech focused on developing orexin receptor 2 agonists
- By IPP Bureau
| June 26, 2026
Global pharma powerhouse Eli Lilly has completed its acquisition of Centessa Pharmaceuticals, marking a strategic push deeper into neuroscience and sleep disorder therapies.
Centessa is a clinical-stage biotech focused on developing orexin receptor 2 agonists, a promising new class of medicines aimed at treating narcolepsy and potentially other sleep-wake disorders.
The deal centers on expanding Lilly’s reach into conditions driven by disrupted sleep regulation, a space with significant unmet medical need and growing scientific interest.
“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," said Carole Ho, Lilly executive vice president and president, Lilly Neuroscience.
"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.”
