Superluminal Announces $60 Million to Advance an Experimental Obesity Drug
Updated 23 September 2026
What Is Happening
Superluminal Medicines announced $60 million in funding from a group of investors led by BVF Partners. Superluminal is the company developing the experimental treatment; Eli Lilly, a maker of weight-loss medicines, is among the investors providing capital.
Superluminal says the money will help take its lead treatment for rare forms of obesity into an initial human trial by the end of 2026. The treatment is designed to act on a pathway involved in appetite control. This first stage of human testing, known as Phase 1, examines safety, doses and how the medicine behaves in the body.
The company also sees possible future use alongside GLP-1 weight-loss medicines. That is a development aim rather than an established patient benefit. The announcement describes investment in Superluminal’s research; it does not announce that Lilly has acquired the drug or obtained rights to sell it.
Sources (3)
Companies Involved
Eli Lilly
Eli Lilly develops and manufactures medicines for diabetes, obesity, cancer and other diseases.
Superluminal
Superluminal develops investigational medicines, including an obesity program targeting MC4R.
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