13亿美元！礼来收购Verve公司，为人类头号致死原因开发基因编辑疗法

Core Viewpoint - Eli Lilly announced the acquisition of Verve Therapeutics for up to $1.3 billion to enhance its cardiovascular disease treatment pipeline through Verve's gene editing therapies [2]. Group 1: Acquisition Details - Eli Lilly will pay an upfront payment of $1 billion, equivalent to $10.50 per share, plus up to $300 million in potential contingent value rights (CVR) based on the progress of VERVE-102 in clinical trials [12]. - The acquisition aims to leverage Verve's innovative gene editing technology to provide a one-time treatment for cardiovascular diseases, shifting the treatment paradigm from chronic care to a single intervention [9][11]. Group 2: Clinical Trial Insights - Verve's VERVE-102 therapy showed promising results in a Phase Ib clinical trial, with a single infusion leading to a dose-dependent reduction in plasma PCSK9 protein levels and LDL-C, with a 53% average reduction in LDL-C at a 0.6 mg/kg dose [2]. - The therapy targets the PCSK9 gene to lower LDL-C levels, which is crucial for preventing and treating conditions like heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HeFH) [2][13]. Group 3: Company Background and Future Plans - Verve Therapeutics was founded in 2019 by renowned cardiologist Sekar Kathiresan and went public in June 2021, focusing on gene editing technologies for cardiovascular disease prevention and treatment [6]. - The company plans to initiate dosing for the first patient in the Phase II trial of VERVE-102 in the second half of the year and will provide updates on its second clinical project, VERVE-201, aimed at lowering LDL-C [9][12].