Eli Lilly seeks more GPCR weight loss drugs in $1.3bn research deal
Eli Lilly will pay up to $1.3bn for Superluminal Medicines to discover and progress small-molecule therapeutics for G protein-coupled receptors (GPCR) targets within the cardiometabolic and obesity space. The collaboration between the two companies will allow Eli Lilly the exclusive rights to develop and commercialise compounds discovered on Superluminal’s AI and machine learning (ML)-powered platform.
In return, Superluminal is eligible to receive up to $1.3bn, which includes upfront and near-term payments, an equity investment, development and commercial milestones, as well as tiered royalties on net sales.
Lilly has been a long-time backer of Superluminal, with the US big pharma company taking part in a $120m Series A round in September 2024. The $1.3bn partnership with Eli Lilly marks a steep growth trajectory for the company that launched in 2023 with $33m in seed funding.
For Eli Lilly, the research pact marks a bolstering of its already successful cardiometabolic and obesity portfolio. Known under the brand names Mounjaro and Zepbound, tirzepatide activates two proteins in the GPCR family – glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide receptor (GIPR) and the glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1R). Eli Lilly’s two drugs earned a combined $8.57bn in Q2 2025 alone.
Neither Lilly nor Superluminal confirmed whether more GIP or GLP-1 goalposts will be included in their collaboration, stating the platform will be only used to find “undisclosed GPCR targets”.
Eli Lilly’s main rival in the GLP-1RA space, Novo Nordisk, signed a GPCR deal of its own earlier this year. The Danish drugmaker outlaid $2.2bn in a deal with US biotech Septerna in May with the aim of finding and developing small-molecule drugs in obesity and diabetes.
This is not the first time Lilly has put money behind GPCR projects. In December 2022, the company signed a partnership worth up to $694m with Tokyo-based Sosei for GPCR drug development, also in the diabetes and metabolic disease space.
Superliminal’s pipeline comprises entirely of pre-clinical candidates. The most advanced is an asset that targets the melanocortin 4 receptor (MC4R), a protein that plays a role in regulating appetite and body weight.
