Coding the Cure: Lilly and Verve Team Up on Gene Editing

The $1.3 billion Verve deal expands Lilly’s reach into gene editing and next-generation heart therapies

29 Oct 2025

Eli Lilly is deepening its commitment to genetic medicine with an agreement to acquire Verve Therapeutics, a biotech company developing in vivo gene-editing therapies for cardiovascular disease. The deal, announced in mid-2025, is valued at up to $1.3 billion, including $1 billion in upfront payments and as much as $300 million in milestone-based incentives tied to clinical progress.

Verve’s lead program employs base-editing technology to target the PCSK9 gene, a regulator of cholesterol levels. Early clinical data from Phase 1 and 1b trials have shown encouraging safety and efficacy signals, laying the groundwork for larger studies. By integrating Verve’s platform, Eli Lilly is expanding its reach into precision genetic medicine while bolstering its pipeline in a field expected to reshape cardiovascular treatment.

The acquisition comes at a time when many gene-editing startups are struggling with limited financing and regulatory delays. Lilly’s investment stands out as a show of confidence that gene-editing science is maturing toward commercial readiness. Analysts said such mid-sized deals are increasingly defining the 2025 biotech landscape, as large pharmaceutical firms seek innovation through targeted acquisitions rather than sweeping mergers.

For Lilly, the purchase offers more than a single experimental therapy. It brings access to Verve’s technology base and expertise in a therapeutic area that remains one of the world’s leading causes of death. Verve, in turn, gains Lilly’s global reach, regulatory infrastructure, and manufacturing capacity, resources that could accelerate its programs toward approval.

Challenges persist. Gene-editing therapies continue to face scrutiny over off-target effects, delivery accuracy, and evolving safety standards. Yet researchers note that improvements in delivery systems and editing precision are gradually lowering scientific and regulatory barriers.

Lilly’s move underscores a broader shift in the pharmaceutical industry. As major players step more decisively into genetic medicine, the field appears to be transitioning from experimental promise to clinical and commercial potential, a shift that could redefine cardiovascular care in the years ahead.