Eli Lilly Secures $100M Upfront for Clazakizumab Rights, Builds $1.5B Orforglipron Inventory
Eli Lilly will pay $100 million upfront to CSL for rights to develop and commercialize clazakizumab, retaining milestone and royalty obligations while CSL keeps exclusive cardiovascular prevention rights in end-stage kidney disease. The company has built $1.5 billion in pre-launch inventory of weight-loss drug orforglipron ahead of an April FDA decision.
1. Clazakizumab Agreement with CSL
Eli Lilly has entered an agreement with CSL granting Lilly the rights to develop and commercialize clazakizumab, an anti-interleukin-6 monoclonal antibody, outside of cardiovascular prevention in end-stage kidney disease. The deal includes a $100 million upfront payment from Lilly, with CSL retaining exclusive rights for cardiovascular applications and eligibility for additional milestone payments and royalties on global net sales.
2. Orforglipron Pre-Launch Inventory Build
In a regulatory filing, Lilly disclosed it has built $1.5 billion in pre-launch inventory of its oral weight-loss drug orforglipron, up from $550 million previously reported. The sizeable inventory position is intended to support a simultaneous multi-country launch if the FDA grants approval in April.