Without risk there is no reward, this quote is quite fitting for the deal between AstraZeneca (ADR) (NYSE: AZN) and Eli Lilly and Co (NYSE: LLY). This morning AstraZeneca announced that they signed a partnership deal with Eli Lilly; this deal could earn AstraZeneca up to $500 million. AstraZeneca and Eli Lilly were rivals but decided to put their differences aside and create a partnership with an experimental Alzheimer drug.

AstraZeneca mentioned in a company statement in late May that it was looking for a partner for a promising drug. That drug was AZD3293, at that time it was set to enter the latter stages of phase three testing against Alzheimer’s. For month’s companies near and far were meeting with AstraZeneca to try to find the right deal that will help out both companies. Eli Lilly was the best company for the deal; Lilly wanted to buy into the project behind the new drug.

Lilly will pay AstraZeneca up to $500 million to share the rights to the drug with the hopes of it having a successful trial. This deal is solely based on the success of the clinical trials and its commercial success in the future. BACE inhibitor drugs works by blocking cells that create brain plaque considered to be the biggest cause of Alzheimer’s. If the phase results are successful then, the drug could be in stores by early 2017.