In this week's Pharma Pulse, Cencora agrees to acquire American Oncology Network, five major employers back electronic prior authorization for self-funded health plans and FDA finalizes its guidance on prescription drug apps and software.
Commentary|Podcasts|February 24, 2026
Pharma Pulse: Eli Lilly’s Multi-Dose Breakthrough and Gilead’s $7.8 Billion Oncology Bet
Author(s)Nicholas Saraceno, Senior Editor
In today’s Pharma Pulse, Eli Lilly launches the monthly Zepbound KwikPen to streamline obesity care, while Gilead Sciences moves to acquires Arcellx in a massive expansion of its cell therapy portfolio.
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Welcome to Pharma Pulse, a Pharmaceutical Commerce podcast where we bring you the latest insights shaping patient access, supply chain/logistics, data & tech, and healthcare innovation. I’m your host, and let’s get into today’s headlines.
- Eli Lilly has officially launched the
Zepbound KwikPen in the US, a multi-dose device that delivers a full month of treatment in a single pen. Available via LillyDirect for self-paying patients, the KwikPen reduces the medical waste and needle fatigue of weekly auto-injectors. With prices starting at $299 a month, Lilly is leveraging this familiar technology—already used for Mounjaro—to differentiate Zepbound in a supply-constrained GLP-1 market. - In M&A news, Gilead Sciences has entered a
$7.8 billion agreement to acquire Arcellx. The deal centers on anito-cel, a CAR-T therapy for multiple myeloma that has shown deep and durable responses alongside what the companies describe as a predictable and manageable safety profile. By bringing Arcellx in-house, Gilead secures the D-Domain platform, a next-gen technology designed to make cell therapies safer and more precise for oncology and beyond.
That’s it for this episode of Pharma Pulse. For more insights on trends transforming pharmaceutical access and care delivery, visit
Thanks for listening—until next time, stay well and stay informed.
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