A US jury awarded Nektar Therapeutics $90 million in its lawsuit against Eli Lilly over a fractured licensing deal involving rezpeg. The amount was below what Nektar sought, but the verdict still supported the biotech’s claims of breach in the co-development agreement. The dispute’s resolution adds to ongoing legal risk around collaboration and licensing structures, particularly when development responsibilities and decision rights become contested. For dealmakers and executives, the key signal is that courts may scrutinize partnership conduct even when the science and development timelines are the core operational focus.