Eli Lilly has partnered with Juvena Therapeutics in a deal featuring upfront payments and milestones exceeding $650 million to develop muscle health drugs. Juvena’s AI-driven platform maps therapeutic potentials of stem cell-secreted proteins and has advanced JUV-161, a fusion protein in clinical trials for myotonic dystrophy. Lilly aims to complement its pipeline addressing lean mass loss, particularly amid rising demand linked to weight management drugs causing lean mass decline. This collaboration signifies a strategic push into muscle regeneration and metabolic health therapies.