New York, Jan 12, 2026, 10:58 EST — Regular session
- Eli Lilly shares climbed following the announcement of a roughly $1 billion, five-year AI research lab partnership with Nvidia
- The new Bay Area site, set for a March unveiling, will have teams collaborating side by side
- On Tuesday, investors will focus on Lilly CEO David Ricks at JPM before tuning in to the earnings call on Feb. 4
Eli Lilly’s stock climbed in early trading Monday following the announcement that the drugmaker and Nvidia plan to invest roughly $1 billion over five years in a joint research lab focused on accelerating drug discovery.
The news comes as executives and investors gather at the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference in San Francisco, where buzz around drug pipelines can quickly shift valuations in a sector still relying on a handful of blockbuster drugs. AI is increasingly woven into the narrative, particularly for firms eager to prove they can go beyond their next big success.
Lilly and Nvidia revealed that the Bay Area lab will deploy Nvidia’s latest Vera Rubin chips — the GPUs behind many AI platforms — to support Lilly’s drug development efforts. The partners plan to disclose the lab’s exact location in March.
At a press briefing, Nvidia healthcare VP Kimberly Powell revealed that both companies are committing “incremental resources” to the new facility, with plans to co-locate researchers from each firm under one roof.
Lilly executive vice president Diogo Rau described the initiative as “a catalyst” for advancing drug discovery, aiming to leverage large-scale computing to speed up laboratory processes.
Some investors will keep an eye on the money movement. Reuters noted that Nvidia and Lilly haven’t clarified if Nvidia’s cash will cycle back to the company via chip purchases—something that’s raised questions with other Nvidia deals.
Lilly climbed roughly 0.7% to $1,071.31, with obesity-drug competitor Novo Nordisk also edging up around 0.6%.
The bigger wager is simple: AI trimming the time and cost to identify and test promising molecules could boost the chances that big pharma keeps churning out hits. For Lilly, this story also supports a premium valuation, driven by strong demand for its diabetes and weight-loss treatments.
This is long-cycle work, with years often separating a flashy partnership from an actual marketed drug. If these tools fail to produce better clinical candidates — or if pricing pressures and competition erode margins faster than anticipated — the market’s patience can run thin.
Next on the docket is Lilly Chair and CEO David Ricks’ fireside chat at JPM, set for Tuesday at 5:15 p.m. ET. Investors will be watching closely for any updates on R&D investment and manufacturing capacity.
Traders are also set to focus on the March update for the lab site, while Lilly’s upcoming earnings call is scheduled for Feb. 4 at 10:00 a.m. EST.
