Eli Lilly Strikes $650M Deal with Juvena to Develop Muscle-Boosting Drugs

Eli Lilly and Juvena Therapeutics have entered a research collaboration worth up to $650 million focused on developing drugs that enhance muscle health124.

The deal leverages Juvena's AI-powered platform, JuvNET, which maps the therapeutic potential of stem cell-secreted proteins to identify novel drug candidates25.

Juvena will receive an upfront payment, an equity investment, and potential milestone payments tied to development and commercialization successes5.

Lilly will gain exclusive licensing rights to any lead drug candidates identified through the collaboration and will oversee their further development and commercialization5.

The partnership aims to accelerate innovation in the treatment of chronic muscle and metabolic diseases, with a specific focus on obesity and muscle preservation25.

Juvena’s drug pipeline already includes biologics for chronic muscle and obesity-related diseases, and the company recently advanced a candidate (JUV-112) targeting obesity through energy expenditure rather than appetite suppression5.

Sources:

1. https://www.tipranks.com/news/eli-lilly-lly-developing-new-muscle-boosting-drug

2. https://firstwordpharma.com/story/5971436

4. https://www.pharmalive.com/lilly-bites-again-in-650m-muscle-preserving-treatment-pact-with-juvena/

5. https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2025/06/11/3097451/0/en/Juvena-Therapeutics-and-Lilly-Enter-Research-Collaboration-Focused-on-Muscle-Health.html