近日，美国礼来公司（Eli Lilly and Company）同意以80亿美元现金收购 Loxo Oncology 公司，大手笔押注治疗某种特定基因突变引发的癌症药品，这也是礼来143年历史上最大的一笔收购案。
礼来公司是一家全球性的以研发为基础的医药公司，也是世界十大肿瘤治疗公司之一。Loxo 虽然规模较小，但在抗癌药领域却是一家名副其实的明星企业——2018年11月底，Loxo 获得了美国食品药品监督管理局（FDA）批准的一款名为 Vitrakvi 的药物，该药物被证明对由某种特定基因突变引发的癌症有疗效，是癌症治疗由全面打击到精准打击的重要转变。
这笔交易一方面标志着礼来正从传统糖尿病治疗扩展到前沿基因治疗领域，另一方面不管是从医药巨头的变动还是整个行业的趋势来看，医学已经走到一个十分重要的转折点。
本篇课程首发于2019年2月9日，选自 Financial Times
https://www.ft.com/content/b3dbd986-1272-11e9-a581-4ff78404524e
Eli Lilly to buy Loxo Oncology for $8bn in cancer drug push
① Eli Lilly has agreed to splash out $8bn on smaller rival Loxo Oncology, the latest in a series of multibillion-dollar pharmaceutical deals as traditional drugmakers buttress cancer treatment portfolios with novel therapies that have been proven effective in treating the disease.
② The contest for supremacy in oncology has been long running among the biggest pharmaceutical groups, with acquisitions and research and development dollars centred on new gene therapies that harness the body's immune system to fight the disease.
③ Loxo Oncology's portfolio of inhibitors targeted specifically to patients with mutations or fusions in certain genes, in combination with advanced diagnostics that allow us to know exactly which patients may benefit, creates new opportunities to improve the lives of people with advanced cancer.
④ The Loxo portfolio includes several drugs that are in trial as well as at least one that has been approved for use in patients, known as Vitrakvi.
▍生词好句
buy /baɪ/: vt. 收购 (purchase/acquire)
oncology /ɒŋˈkɒlədʒi, ɑːnˈkɑːlədʒi/: n. 肿瘤学
cancer drug: 抗癌药
push /pʊʃ/: n. 努力；攻势 (a vigorous effort to do or obtain something)
agree to do sth.: 同意/答应做某事
splash /splæʃ/: vt./vi. (使) 泼溅；溅落
splash out: 花大笔的钱；挥霍 (spend a lot of money)
rival /ˈraɪvəl/: n. 竞争对手
multibillion-dollar: adj. 数十亿美元的
pharmaceutical /ˌfɑːməˈsjuːtɪkəl, ˌfɑːrməˈsuːtɪkəl/: adj. 制药的
pharmacy /ˈfɑːməsi, ˈfɑːrməsi/: n. 药房
the pharmaceutical industry: 制药业
a pharmaceutical company: 制药公司
buttress /ˈbʌtrəs, ˈbʌtrɪs/: vt. 加强，巩固；支持；支撑 n. 墙壁的支撑物 (a brick or stone structure built to support a wall)
portfolio /ˌpɔːtˈfəʊliəʊ, ˌpɔːrtˈfəʊliəʊ/: n. 公文包；产品/服务组合 (a range of products or services offered by an organization)
novel /ˈnɒvəl, ˈnɑːvəl/: adj. 新的；新奇的 n. 小说
therapy /ˈθerəpi/: n. 治疗；疗法 (treatment)
treat /triːt/: vt. 治疗，医治；对待
cure /kjʊə, kjʊr/: vt. 治愈；治好 n. 治愈方法
contest/competition for sth.: 关于……的争夺/竞争
supremacy /sjuːˈpreməsi, suːˈpreməsi/: n. 至高无上；最高地位
supreme /suːˈpriːm/: adj. 至高无上的；最高的
the Supreme Court: 最高法院
group /ɡruːp/: n. 集团公司；小组
acquisition /ˌækwɪˈzɪʃən/: n. 收购
merger and acquisition: 兼并与收购
research and development (R&D): 研究与开发 (研发)
centre on/upon: 以……为中心；集中在……上
gene therapy: 基因疗法
harness /ˈhɑːnəs, ˈhɑːrnɪs/: vt. 利用 (use/utilise)
immune system /ɪˈmjuːn/: 免疫系统
fight the disease: 对抗疾病；疾病作斗争
inhibitor /ɪnˈhɪbɪtə, ɪnˈhɪbɪtər/: n. 抑制剂 (something that stops or slows down a process)
target /ˈtɑːɡɪt, ˈtɑːrɡɪt/: vt. 以 (某特定人群) 为目标；针对 n. 靶子，对象；目标
specifically /spəˈsɪfɪkəli/: adv. 专门地
mutation /mjuːˈteɪʃən/: n. (基因) 突变；变异
fusion /ˈfjuːʒən/: n. 融合；熔合
in combination with: 与……结合/联合
advanced /ədˈvɑːnst, ədˈvænst/: adj. 先进的；晚期的
diagnostics /ˌdaɪəɡˈnɒstɪks, ˌdaɪəɡˈnɑːstɪks/: n. 诊断方法；诊断学
include /ɪnˈkluːd/: vt. 包括
in trial: 试验中；庭审中
approve /əˈpruːv/: vt. 批准；同意 vi. 赞同；认可
▍词汇拓展
1. push: n. 努力；攻势 (a vigorous effort to do or obtain something)
He determined to make one last push for success.
为取得成功，他决定做最后的努力。
2. splash: vt./vi. (使) 泼溅；溅落
· splash out: 花大笔的钱；挥霍 (spend a lot of money)
She splashed the water on his face.
她把水泼到了他脸上。
They splashed out £3,000 on a holiday.
他们一次度假就花了3000英镑。
We've decided to splash out on a holiday abroad this year.
我们决定今年花一大笔钱去国外度假。
3. buttress: vt. 加强，巩固；支持；支撑 n. 墙壁的支撑物 (a brick or stone structure built to support a wall)
Simon gave statistics to buttress his argument.
Simon用数据支持自己的论点。
4. treat: vt. 治疗，医治；对待
· cure: vt. 治愈；治好 n. 治愈方法
Western medicine tends to treat the symptoms and not the cause.
西医往往治标不治本。
There is no known cure but the illness can be treated.
这种病尚没有确切的治愈方法，但可以医治。
5. contest/competition for sth.: 关于……的争夺/竞争
The contest for the presidential nomination is very bitter.
总统候选人提名的竞争非常激烈。
6. harness: vt. 利用 (use/utilise)
We can harness the power of the wind to generate electricity.
我们可以利用风力发电。
7. approve: vt. 批准；同意 vi. 赞同；认可
The conference approved a proposal for a referendum.
这次会上批准了进行公民投票的提议。
Personally, I don't approve of plastic surgery.
我个人不赞同整容手术。
▍责任编辑
高晴、李焕
▍内容校对
武志琳、章晓丹