Eli Lilly to acquire gene-editing specialists focused on CVD for up to $1.3B
Eli Lilly and Company has acquired Verve Therapeutics, a Boston-based biotech company focused on developing new gene therapies for cardiovascular disease (CVD), for up to $1.3 billion.
The move includes an upfront purchase of approximately $1 billion. If certain milestones are met, however, the total could climb to approximately $1.3 billion.
Verve’s biggest offering at the moment is VERVE-102, which targets a patient’s PCSK9 genes. The company believes this therapy could provide significant value to patients with heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia and premature coronary artery disease. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) appears to agree—the agency already granted VERVE-102 its fast track designation to help it advance through the approval process.
“VERVE-102 has the potential to be the first in vivo gene editing therapy for broad patient populations and could shift the treatment paradigm for CVD from chronic care to one-and-done treatment,” Ruth Gimeno, Lilly group vice president of diabetes and metabolic research and development, said in a statement. “Lilly is eager to welcome our Verve colleagues to Lilly and continue the development of these promising potential new medicines aimed at improving outcomes for patients with cardiovascular disease, and addressing the significant unmet medical need in this space.”
“Lilly shares our vision, and we believe their global research, clinical, regulatory and commercial capabilities will help to accelerate the development of our medicines,” added Sekar Kathiresan, MD, Verve’s co-founder and CEO. “My deepest thanks to the entire Verve team for their expertise, creativity, and grit. We are grateful to the investigators and patients who have contributed to the success of our clinical trials so far. Under Lilly's stewardship, we are excited to realize the next chapter in cardiovascular care where a single treatment can lead to lifelong reduction of cardiovascular risk factors and make life better for millions of patients living with CVD.”
Verve’s other lead programs include VERVE-201, designed to turn off the ANGPTL3 gene in a patient’s liver, and VERVE-301, designed to turn off the LPA gene and reduce lipoprotein (a) levels.
Michael has more than 18 years of experience as a professional writer and editor. He has written at length about cardiology, radiology, artificial intelligence and other key healthcare topics.