July 15 (Reuters) – Eli Lilly is in talks to acquire psychedelic drugmaker AtaiBeckley and a deal could be announced as soon as this week, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the matter.
AtaiBeckley shares soared 66% in aftermarket trading, while Lilly was flat. AtaiBeckley was up 31% so far this year and had a market value of $1.97 billion as of Wednesday’s close, according to LSEG data.
Lilly is negotiating a deal at a premium, Bloomberg News said.
Eli Lilly and AtaiBeckley were not immediately available for comment outside regular business hours.
New York-based AtaiBeckley focuses on psychedelic-based treatments for mental health conditions and is developing BPL-003, an intranasal formulation of 5-MeO-DMT for treatment-resistant depression.
The company’s shares received a boost this year after U.S. President Donald Trump ordered health regulators to speed up reviews of psychedelic treatments and increased federal funding for their research.
(Reporting by Fabiola Arámburo in Mexico City; Editing by Tasim Zahid and Jonathan Ananda)
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