Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE: LLY) announced agreements to acquire three companies focused on infectious disease research and development for a combined total of up to $3.83 billion in cash.

The pharmaceutical company will acquire Curevo Inc. for up to $1.5 billion, LimmaTech Biologics AG for up to $780 million, and Vaccine Company, Inc. for up to $1.55 billion. All payments include upfront amounts and milestone-based payments tied to clinical and regulatory achievements.

Curevo's lead candidate is amezosvatein, a shingles vaccine currently in Phase 2 trials. The company states the vaccine matched immune response against standard care while reducing side effects including fatigue, chills, and injection site pain by more than half in head-to-head trials.

LimmaTech Biologics develops vaccines targeting bacterial pathogens with rising antimicrobial resistance, including Staphylococcus aureus, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, and Chlamydia trachomatis. The company's lead program, LTB-SA7, is in Phase 1 development as a vaccine against S. aureus.

Vaccine Company focuses on In Vivo Nanoparticle technologies for viral pathogen vaccines. The company's lead program targets Epstein-Barr Virus with a five-antigen candidate ready for Phase 1 trials.

"These acquisitions reflect a deliberate strategy to prevent disease at its source rather than treat its consequences," said Daniel M. Skovronsky, Lilly's chief scientific and product officer.

The transactions are subject to customary closing conditions, including Hart-Scott-Rodino antitrust waiting period expiration. Lilly will determine accounting treatment following closure in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles.

The acquisitions expand Lilly's infectious disease research portfolio, targeting pathogens linked to long-term neurological and oncological risks.