Eli Lilly to buy psychedelics maker AtaiBeckley for $2.8 billion as experimental treatments gain traction

Source: CNBC

Health and Science
Eli Lilly to buy psychedelics maker AtaiBeckley for $2.8 billion as experimental treatments gain traction

Published Thu, Jul 16 2026 6:45 AM EDT
Updated An Hour Ago
Angelica Peebles
@angelicapeebles
@in/angelicapeebles/

KEY POINTS
* Eli Lilly will acquire psychedelic drugmaker AtaiBeckley for $2.8 billion.
* AtaiBeckley is developing several psychedelics for mental health conditions.
* The deal gives Lilly access to experimental drugs based on DMT and MDMA.


The Eli Lilly logo appears on the company’s office in San Diego, California, Nov. 21, 2025.
Mike Blake | Reuters

Eli Lilly will acquire psychedelic drugmaker AtaiBeckley for $2.8 billion up front, the company said Thursday, as momentum grows for using versions of the drugs as mental health treatments.

The transaction gives Lilly access to AtaiBeckley's experimental DMT-based drug that's being studied in Phase 3 clinical trials for treatment-resistant depression. AtaiBeckley is developing several other psychedelics for mental health conditions, including one related to MDMA, also known as ecstasy.

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Read more: https://www.cnbc.com/amp/2026/07/16/eli-lilly-to-buy-psychedelics-maker-ataibeckley-2point8-billion.html