Pharma BD Deal Intelligence

Eli Lilly and Company / Prevail Therapeutics

2020 · Acquisition/Merger · $1.0B · Complete

CALLED IT — OFF BY 5
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The coverage arc

Jan 25, 2021 Pharmaceutical Technology Neutral

Lilly acquires biotechnology company Prevail Therapeutics for $1.04 billion to advance gene therapy capabilities in neuroscience

Feb 05, 2026 Clinical Trials Arena Bearish

Lilly discontinued LY3884963 (FTD-GRN gene therapy from Prevail) due to lack of compelling efficacy; not a safety concern. One of three programs stopped.

Mar 13, 2026 ClinicalTrials.gov (PROPEL, NCT04127578) Neutral

PR001/LY3884961 Phase 1/2a PROPEL in GBA1-Parkinson's: ACTIVE_NOT_RECRUITING, primary completion estimated December 2030.

Source summaries from our enrichment pipeline; follow links for originals.

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Lilly acquired Prevail Therapeutics for $1.0B upfront ($22.50/share in cash, ~$1.04B enterprise value) plus a non-tradeable CVR worth up to $4.00/share, closing January 22, 2021, to establish a neuroscience gene-therapy platform. The lead asset, PR001/LY3884961, is an AAV9 gene therapy for GBA1-mutation Parkinson's disease and neuronopathic Gaucher disease, evaluated in the Phase 1/2a PROPEL trial (NCT04127578) — still active (not recruiting) with primary completion now estimated December 2030. The thesis was a portfolio of clinical and preclinical neurodegeneration gene therapies, but it has narrowed: in February 2026 Lilly discontinued the PR006/LY3884963 program for frontotemporal dementia with progranulin mutations (PROCLAIM trial, NCT04408625) citing lack of compelling efficacy (no safety concern), as part of a broader cut of three pipeline programs. The deal remains a long-dated, early-/mid-stage neuro bet: the lead Parkinson's program is alive but pre-revenue with a 2030 readout, while one of the two named clinical assets has now failed.

Key facts

Related deals — scored

DealYearValueOutcome
Eli Lilly and Company / Prevail Therapeutics (this deal)2020$1.0B48
Eli Lilly and Company / Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH2011$444M89
Eli Lilly and Company / Loxo Oncology, Inc.2019$8.0B88
Eli Lilly and Company / Applied Molecular Evolution Inc.2003$400M88
Eli Lilly and Company / ICOS Corporation2006$2.3B87
Eli Lilly and Company / Novartis Animal Health2014$5.4B70
Eli Lilly and Company / Incyte Corporation2009$755M69

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