David A. RicksChair & CEO, Eli Lilly and Company (LLY)
9 recorded appearances
Ricks said Lilly is 'pleased but not satisfied' after a Q2 beat and a raised full-year sales outlook, and argued oral GLP-1 therapies are expanding the addressable market rather than cannibalising injectables. He also addressed US drug-pricing policy.
Ricks argued with Scott Galloway that GLP-1s change the economics of obesity treatment for the whole US health system, and criticised how the American insurance and pricing structure blocks access.
With Woodline's Mike Rockefeller, Ricks laid out how Lilly balances its internal R&D engine against externally sourced innovation via acquisitions and partnerships, and how it compressed traditional development timelines.
Ricks explained the science Lilly is pursuing to improve the GLP-1 class, and pushed back on AI hype in drug discovery — saying today's models are 'not particularly good' at solving core biology and chemistry problems.
On stage with Jensen Huang, Ricks detailed Lilly's plan to build what the companies call the largest dedicated on-premises biology supercomputer, in Indianapolis, plus a joint co-innovation lab.
Ricks discussed Lilly's path to a trillion-dollar market value, the launch of its oral obesity pill and the near-term pipeline.
A long-form conversation with John and Patrick Collison on the economics of drug development — why capital allocation, manufacturing scale and pricing structure, not just science, determine which medicines get built.
A moderated address on the global transformation of health care, covering chronic disease management, US manufacturing investment and pharma policy.
Ricks walked through how Lilly discovered the GLP-1 weight-loss effect, the counterfeit-product problem sourced from China, GLP-1 pricing, and early signals on addiction and mental-health indications.