Eli Lilly to Acquire Centessa Pharmaceuticals in Cash Deal

Centessa Pharmaceuticals ( (CNTA) ) has issued an announcement.

On March 31, 2026, Eli Lilly and Company agreed to acquire Centessa Pharmaceuticals via a court-sanctioned scheme of arrangement in the U.K., paying $38 in cash per share plus a non-transferable contingent value right (CVR) worth up to an additional $9 per share, for potential total consideration of $47 and an upfront equity value of about $6.3 billion. The deal, backed by both boards and key shareholders holding roughly one-fifth of Centessa’s stock, will fold Centessa’s promising OX2R agonist portfolio, including lead candidate cleminorexton for narcolepsy and idiopathic hypersomnia, into Lilly’s neuroscience franchise, expanding its presence in sleep medicine while offering Centessa investors a substantial premium and milestone-linked upside tied to future U.S. regulatory approvals.

The transaction is expected to close in the third quarter of 2026, subject to shareholder, court and regulatory approvals, including antitrust clearance under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Act, with customary termination rights and a company break fee of about $63 million. Equity awards at Centessa will be cashed out or vested and converted into cash and CVRs under defined terms, while non-solicitation and voting support agreements, plus performance-based CVR milestones linked to approvals for cleminorexton or ORX142 in narcolepsy type 2, idiopathic hypersomnia and any indication, underscore both parties’ commitment and highlight the regulatory and development risks that will determine ultimate value realization for stakeholders.

The most recent analyst rating on (CNTA) stock is a Hold with a $47.00 price target. To see the full list of analyst forecasts on Centessa Pharmaceuticals stock, see the CNTA Stock Forecast page.

Spark’s Take on CNTA Stock

According to Spark, TipRanks’ AI Analyst, CNTA is a Neutral.

The score is held down primarily by weak financial performance (large ongoing losses and significant cash burn on limited revenue) and bearish/weak technicals (below key moving averages with negative MACD). Corporate events add some support via improved capital-raising flexibility and leadership/strategy updates, but they do not fully offset the underlying profitability and cash-consumption risks.

To see Spark’s full report on CNTA stock, click here.

More about Centessa Pharmaceuticals

Centessa Pharmaceuticals plc is a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company focused on discovering and developing transformational medicines, with a lead emphasis on orexin receptor 2 (OX2R) agonists. Its pipeline targets excessive daytime sleepiness, impaired attention, cognitive deficits and fatigue across neurological, neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric disorders, positioning the company at the forefront of emerging sleep-wake and brain health therapeutics.

Average Trading Volume: 1,427,041

Technical Sentiment Signal: Buy

Current Market Cap: $3.71B

For a thorough assessment of CNTA stock, go to TipRanks’ Stock Analysis page.