Eli Lilly reportedly agreed to a takeover of Atai Beckley valued at about $1 billion, as pharmaceutical companies showed renewed interest in psychedelic drugs such as LSD and psilocybin. Development of these drugs had largely been associated with small start-ups for a long time.

The renewed interest was linked partly to Robert F. Kennedy, described as a vaccine skeptic and a member of the Trump administration. The takeover was presented as a sign that the pharmaceutical industry expected significant commercial potential from psychedelic drugs.