The outsider who's upended Eli Lilly’s cancer pipeline

Jacob Van Naarden crept into Eli Lilly's top ranks — and plans to drive its business forward. ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­  

March 25, 2026 Check out STAT+

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James Salzano/Eli Lilly STAT+ | How an outsider crept into Eli Lilly's top ranks — and plans to drive its business forward  Lilly acquired both drug rights and top talent in the $8 billion deal. Here's an inside look at how Loxo's Jacob Van Naarden rose to power inside Eli Lilly. By Matthew Herper STAT+ | Bhattacharya addresses CDC director role, works to bolster staff morale in first all-hands meeting Acting CDC Director Bhattacharya faced tough staff questions on job cuts and attack fallout. Announcement about a new director is expected by Thursday. By Helen Branswell California considers seal of approval for foods that are not ultra-processed California bill would label foods as not ultra-processed, even as scientists debate definitions and courts weigh legality of similar laws. By Sarah Todd Adobe Opinion: Emergency departments are not equipped to help patients with dementia Relatively minor changes to the process of getting care in emergency departments would substantially improve the experience of patients with dementia. By Gabriela Khazanov Heart failure is common. A quick MRI could improve diagnosis and guide treatment A new MRI method measures cardiac oxygen use in three minutes without catheters or radiation, offering a simpler way to study heart failure and metabolism. By Elizabeth Cooney STAT+ | Sarepta Therapeutics shares rise on early promise for rare disease drugs New results from small studies in a pair of treatments for rare, muscle-wasting diseases could support the beleaguered company's pivot. By Damian Garde Vahid Salemi/AP Opinion: The U.S. needs to be worried about Iranian biological materials Congress should demand a full accounting of what we know about Iran's biological weapons, and fast. By Ashish K. Jha STAT+ | FDA approves Denali Therapeutics drug for Hunter syndrome The decision is notable in part because it follows a string of FDA rejections or calls for additional data on rare disease drugs. By Andrew Joseph and Jason Mast

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