Eli Lilly's acquisition of Vere Therapeutics promises to revolutionize cardiovascular care with innovative one-time gene editing treatments for high-risk patients.
Eli Lilly and Company announced its acquisition of Vere Therapeutics has successfully completed, following the previous day’s announcement of the expiration of the Vere tender offer.
Ruth Gimeno, Lilly group vice president, diabetes and metabolic research and development, spoke on the impact of the acquisition, saying, "This acquisition unlocks the opportunity to potentially transform the treatment paradigm for millions of patients worldwide by delivering lifelong cardiovascular risk reduction with a one-and-done treatment. We are excited to welcome Verve colleagues to Lilly and work together to develop innovative genetic medicines for cardiometabolic disease."1
Eli Lilly and Company officially acquired Vere Therapeutics. Originally announced back in June of 2025, both Lilly and Vere came to a definitive agreement on Lilly’s complete acquisition of Vere. Eli Lilly chose to acquire Vere due to its developing pipeline of gene editing medicines designed to address drivers of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) through one-time treatment options.
Vere’s pipeline includes its lead program Vere-102, a potential first-in-class vivo gene editing medicine that targets Pcsk9, a gene linked to cholesterol levels and cardiovascular health. This treatment option is deemed applicable to those who have heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HeFH). This subset of ASCVD affects 1 in 250 people in the population alongside patients diagnosed with premature coronary artery disease (CAD). Vere-102 is under evaluation in Phase 1b clinical trials study and is granted fast track designation by the FDA.
Gimeno spoke further on Vere-102’s potential and what the acquisition means for the treatment’s future saying, "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 cardiovascular disease from chronic care to one-and-done treatment. 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."2
The official terms of the agreement see that Lilly commences a tender offer to acquire all outstanding shares of Verve Therapeutics at a price of $10.50 per share in cash, plus one non-tradable contingent value right-per-share that enables the holder to receive upwards of $3.00 per share, bringing the total potential value of each share to $13.50 in cash without interest. Contingent payments are also applicable upon the first patient being does with Vere-102 for ASCVD in U.S. phase 3 clinical trials on or before the tenth anniversary of closing or termination of contingent value right.
Sekar Kathiresan, M.D., co-founder and chief executive officer of Verve Therapeutics expressed his thanks and touched upon what the acquisition brings to the future ofcardiovascular treatments saying, "Verve was founded with one mission in mind: transform the treatment of cardiovascular disease from chronic care to a one-dose future," in just seven years, our team has progressed three in vivo gene editing products, with two currently in the clinic. Now, we will take the next steps in the drug development journey together with an ideal strategic partner in Lilly. Lilly shares our vision, and we believe their global research, clinical, regulatory and commercial capabilities will help to accelerate the development of our medicines. 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 cardiovascular disease." 2
