Eli Lilly Bets Big on One-Shot Heart Treatment, Pays 113% Premium to Acquire Gene-Editing Startup Verve Therapeutics

When it comes to pharmaceutical acquisitions, Eli LillyLLY

just wrote a check that’d make even the most generous tipper blush. The drugmaker agreed to snap up gene-editing startup Verve TherapeuticsVERV

for up to $1.3B, paying a 113% premium above the biotech’s recent trading price. The deal centers around Verve’s revolutionary approach of using a technology to treat cardiovascular disease that could potentially transform lifelong medication regimens into a single-dose cure.

• Verve’s stock surged 75% yesterday following the announcement, while Lilly shares dipped 1% as investors digested the hefty price tag.
• The deal structure includes $1B upfront at $10.50 per share, with potential milestone payments adding another $300M if Verve’s lead drug hits key clinical targets.

The heart of the matter: Verve’s lead program, VERVE-102, targets the PCSK9 gene linked to cholesterol levels and has already earned FDA Fast Track designation. The transaction, expected to close in Q3 2025, positions Lilly at the forefront of genetic medicine for heart disease — a market that could eliminate the need for daily pills in favor of lifetime protection from a single injection. But not everyone is convinced. BMO Capital Markets analyst Evan David Seigerman questioned the deal’s value, pointing out that effective treatments already exist and “there may be better uses of capital for the company at this time.” Even so, the acquisition reflects a broader rebound in healthcare M&A after a slowdown driven by regulatory and political turbulence.