New York, Feb 19, 2026, 15:04 EST — Regular session
- Eli Lilly slipped 0.2% in the afternoon session, trading close to $1,019.
- The company has highlighted fresh late-stage results combining Zepbound and the psoriasis treatment Taltz.
- Up next: The CFO is scheduled for a fireside chat at the TD Cowen health care conference on March 2.
Shares of Eli Lilly and Company slipped Thursday afternoon, off around 0.2% to $1,018.93. The stock has bounced between $1,007.29 and $1,023.37 during the session.
Investors are processing a batch of updates on Lilly’s efforts to expand tirzepatide’s reach — marketed as Zepbound for obesity and Mounjaro for diabetes — with the stock’s modest move landing as the wider U.S. market edged down as well.
Eli Lilly reported Wednesday that adding Zepbound to its psoriasis drug Taltz outperformed Taltz on its own in a late-stage trial involving patients with both obesity and plaque psoriasis. More participants achieved full skin clearance and significant weight loss with the drug combination. The phase 3b study, designed to evaluate real-world use, was open-label—patients and clinicians knew which regimen was being given.
Lilly reported in a separate statement that 27.1% of patients treated with both Taltz and Zepbound achieved complete skin clearance, or PASI 100, along with at least 10% weight loss by 36 weeks. That compared to just 5.8% for those using Taltz on its own. “Psoriasis and obesity can profoundly impact how people feel,” said Adrienne Brown, who heads Lilly Immunology. PR Newswire
Mark Lebwohl, the Mount Sinai dermatologist leading the trial, said the results were “especially remarkable,” pointing to the high-BMI group and the difficulty of the disease, per the release. Lilly noted nausea, diarrhea, and constipation as the most frequent side effects for the combo group. PR Newswire
Deal chatter cropped up again this week. CSL, based in Australia, has agreed to give Lilly some rights to develop and market clazakizumab outside of CSL’s current focus on end-stage kidney disease. The price tag: $100 million upfront, along with possible milestone payments and royalties down the line.
Bill Mezzanotte, who leads research and development at CSL, called clazakizumab “a promising therapeutic candidate” in the company’s statement. Reuters
Lilly is touting its supply-chain ambitions. Speaking to Reuters, a top executive said the drugmaker is looking to make India a central piece of its global logistics network, following a jump in Mounjaro sales in the country. Lilly, the executive said, plans to ramp up its previously unveiled $1 billion push into contract manufacturing in India.
“We are actually looking at India to be a hub, part of our global supply chain, and therefore supplying the world,” Winselow Tucker, president and general manager of Lilly India, told Reuters. The remarks land as Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy goes up against Lilly in the market. Reuters
Even so, topline clinical data usually marks just the beginning for traders. In this case, the psoriasis trial ran open-label; full data hasn’t been published yet. Any push to widen the label or update marketing hinges on regulators and further evidence — plus, pricing and supply issues remain sticking points for obesity drugs around the world.
Investors are set to tune in when CFO Lucas Montarce speaks at TD Cowen’s Annual Health Care Conference on March 2. The webcast kicks off at 3:10 p.m. ET, and expectations are running for updates around demand, supply, and pipeline priorities.
