Lila Biologics, Eli Lilly Announce Collaboration on Radioligand Therapies

The partnership will focus on the discovery, development, and commercialization of radioligand therapies for the imaging and treatment of solid tumors.

Seattle-based biotech company Lila Biologics has entered into a global licensing and multitarget research collaboration with Eli Lilly and Co.

The partnership will focus on the discovery, development, and commercialization of radioligand therapies for the imaging and treatment of solid tumors.

As part of the agreement, Lila will design precision-targeted proteins for radioligand therapy, with efforts directed toward program discovery and development candidate selection. Eli Lilly will lead investigational new drug (IND)-enabled studies, clinical development, and global commercialization.

Alongside the announcement, Lila also introduced two new protein therapeutics platforms, both supported by artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML). The company’s targeted radiotherapy/oncology platform for solid tumors and its long-acting injectables platform for non-oncology conditions are built on its proprietary AI/ML-powered protein design engine.

“Lila's core technology goes beyond ML-enabled design of high-affinity binders, and we have fine-tuned our engine to deliver precision targeted proteins with optimized drug-like properties that have the potential to unlock a new generation of treatments that dramatically improve patients' quality of life and extend survival time," Jake Kraft, CEO and cofounder of Lila Biologics, said in a statement.

Larger Trend

The collaboration comes amid other developments involving Eli Lilly. Earlier this month, the company announced that the FDA granted breakthrough therapy designation to olomorasib, in combination with Keytruda (pembrolizumab), for first-line treatment of patients with unresectable advanced or metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer with a KRAS G12C mutation and PD-L1 expression of at least 50%.

In April, Eli Lilly filed lawsuits against multiple compounders over unapproved products containing Tirzepatide, an active ingredient in its diabetes and weight-loss drugs.

The company has also expanded its presence in digital health. In 2024, Lilly Digital Health and the Lilly Centre for Clinical Pharmacology launched a SGD$42 million digital health innovation hub in Singapore, aimed at advancing AI-powered health technologies. That same year, Eli Lilly partnered with Genetic Leap on RNA-targeted therapeutics in a deal valued at up to $409 million.

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