Eli Lilly announced plans to acquire Verve Therapeutics, a Boston-based clinical-stage company developing genetic medicines for cardiovascular disease.
Verve is developing a pipeline of gene editing medicines designed to address the drivers of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) through treatments that may only need to be given once in a lifetime. Verve's lead program (VERVE-102) is a potential first-in-class in vivo gene editing medicine targeting PCSK9, a gene linked to cholesterol levels and cardiovascular health. The treatment may be applicable for people who have heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HeFH), a subset of ASCVD that affects 1 in 250 people in the general population, as well as certain patients with premature coronary artery disease (CAD). VERVE-102 is being evaluated in a Phase 1b clinical trial study and has been granted Fast Track designation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Lilly plans to acquire all of the outstanding shares of Verve for a purchase price of up to approximately $1.3 billion.
