David Ricks

Money Moves

As of September 2026: Overseeing Lilly's 2026 acquisition spree

Eli Lilly agreed to buy Merida Biosciences for up to $2.875 billion. The deal adds a platform that destroys the specific antibodies driving autoimmune disease instead of broadly suppressing the immune system. Merida's lead drug, MER511, is in early human testing for Graves' disease and thyroid eye disease.

Updated Sep 1

Money Moves

As of July 2026: Leading Lilly's push into mental health drugs

Eli Lilly agreed to buy AtaiBeckley for $6.75 a share in cash, about $2.8 billion, with up to $1 billion more if two drugs hit development targets. The purchase pulls one of the world's largest drugmakers into psychedelic medicine.

Updated Jul 16

Built World

As of May 2026: Overseeing $9B+ LEAP investment

Indiana committed over $23 billion in private investment to a 9,500-acre industrial district in Boone County farmland before solving a basic problem: where the water would come from. The state is advancing a $560 million plan to pipe up to 25 million gallons per day from Indianapolis. The water would supply Eli Lilly's $9 billion pharmaceutical campus and Meta's $10 billion data center complex, despite objections from Indianapolis lawmakers, environmental groups, and hundreds of property owners along the pipeline route.

Updated May 31

New Capabilities

As of May 2026: Leading Lilly's obesity drug expansion

For two years, the most effective weight-loss drugs on the market required a weekly injection, but that barrier is now falling. Eli Lilly began shipping Foundayo on April 6, 2026 — just five days after FDA approval in a record 50-day review — making it the first oral GLP-1 pill with no food or water restrictions. At $149/month (or $25 with insurance), it's 85% cheaper than injectables.

Updated May 30