Seamless Therapeutics entered into a strategic global research collaboration and licensing agreement with Eli Lilly and Company to develop and commercialize programmable recombinase-based genetic medicines targeting hearing loss.

The collaboration is expected to leverage Seamless’ proprietary recombinase platform, which is designed to enable large and precise DNA insertions at defined genomic sites without relying on the cell’s natural DNA repair mechanisms.¹

“By combining Seamless’ recombinase programming with Lilly’s development expertise in hearing loss, this agreement creates an efficient path from in vitro design to the clinic,” said Albert Seymour, PhD, chief executive officer of Seamless Therapeutics. “Building on the progress Seamless has made in the development of programmable recombinases, the collaboration aims to advance the platform’s disease-modifying potential and translate it into meaningful patient benefits.”

Hearing loss represents a significant area of unmet medical need, particularly for patients with inherited forms of the condition, for whom treatment options remain limited. Genetic mutations underlying hearing loss are diverse, with genes playing a role in almost half of all cases of hearing loss.² The collaboration reflects growing interest in gene-editing technologies that can precisely modify disease-causing genes while minimizing unintended genomic effects.

The agreement centers on Seamless’ work in advancing programmable recombinases, a class of enzymes that has long been used in research settings but historically lacked the precision and flexibility required for therapeutic gene editing. Seamless’ platform is designed to engineer recombinases with enhanced specificity and activity, enabling targeted insertion, exchange, inversion, or excision of DNA sequences within the genome.¹ By operating independently of endogenous DNA repair pathways, the approach aims to overcome limitations associated with other gene-editing strategies.

What are the terms of the research collaboration?

Per the terms of the collaboration agreement, Seamless is expected to design and program site-specific recombinases intended to correct mutations in selected genes associated with hearing loss.¹ As part of the agreement, Lilly will be granted an exclusive license to the programmed recombinases from Seamless and will be responsible for advancing the resulting candidates through preclinical development, clinical trials, and potential commercialization.¹

“Lilly is invested in advancing novel treatment approaches for genetic diseases and shares our vision of bringing genetic medicines to patients who currently have limited treatment options. This collaboration is a validation of our gene editing platform and its broad disease-modifying potential,” said Seymour. “We look forward to working with our partners at Lilly in our shared goal to transform the outcome for patients with genetic hearing loss. It’s an exciting opportunity to apply our technology to bring treatments to patients with hearing loss and continue to expand the therapeutic potential for programmable recombinases through our proprietary pipeline.”

Seamless will receive an upfront payment along with committed research and development funding, with the company being eligible to receive upwards of $1.12 billion in total consideration, including potential development and commercial milestone payments, which exclude tiered royalties on products that may ultimately reach the market.¹ Additional financial terms have yet to be disclosed.

Sources

1. Seamless Therapeutics Announces Global Research Collaboration with Lilly to Develop Programmable Recombinase-based Therapeutics for Hearing Loss Seamless Therapeutics January 28, 2026 https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2026/01/28/3227440/0/en/Seamless-Therapeutics-Announces-Global-Research-Collaboration-with-Lilly-to-Develop-Programmable-Recombinase-based-Therapeutics-for-Hearing-Loss.html
2. Genetic Hearing Loss and Gene Therapy PubMed December 16, 2018 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30602081/