Psychedelic drugmaker AtaiBeckley was surging 50% ahead of the open Thursday following a report that pharma giant Eli Lilly is nearing a deal to buy the company .
A deal, being negotiated at a premium, could be announced as early as this week, Bloomberg reported, citing people familiar with the matter.
The stock is up 31% so far this year, through Wednesday's close. The shares jumped 22% in a single day in April when President Donald Trump signed a directive to accelerate the Food and Drug Administration's review of psychedelic drugs for serious mental illnesses.
Lilly stock was up 0.1% in premarket trading. AtaiBeckley and Eli Lilly did not immediately respond to requests for comments early Thursday.
Write to Callum Keown at callum.keown@dowjones.com
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July 16, 2026 05:36 ET (09:36 GMT)
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