Lilly gets formal FDA approval for its Alzheimer’s drug

Article Excerpt

With its latest drug having won FDA approval, Eli Lilly is poised to profit from the growing need for medical help to slow the effects of Alzheimer. ELI LILLY & CO., $905.59, is still a buy. The company (New York symbol LLY; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average) (www.lilly.com; Shares o/s: 950.2 million; Market cap: $894.9 billion; Yield: 0.6%) has now received formal U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for its Donanemab Alzheimer’s drug. Donanemab will now be sold under the brand name Kisunla. The drug works by breaking up sticky, toxic collections of “amyloid beta,” a protein many researchers believe to be a root cause of the memory-robbing disease. While Donanemab is not a cure, it’s expected to delay early-stage progression of the disease. Meanwhile, the approval adds another blockbuster product to Lilly’s portfolio, which has been buoyed by the success of the company’s GLP-1 drug for obesity. Currently, the average estimate has Donanemab generating close to $5 billion in annual sales at its peak. Eli Lilly is…