Key points from article :
Vertex Pharmaceuticals has ended its gene editing collaboration with Verve Therapeutics before the project reached clinical trials. The partnership, originally established in 2022, aimed to develop an in vivo gene editing therapy for a liver disease, but Vertex has now shifted its R&D priorities. As a result, Verve has regained full rights to the program and plans to continue development independently.
Under the original deal, Vertex paid Verve $25 million upfront and invested $35 million, with the potential for additional milestone payments. Vertex had agreed to fund Verve’s research through phase 1 before deciding whether to continue development. Now, with Vertex stepping away, Verve loses access to its expertise in liver diseases but retains the research progress made so far.
This change comes as Verve prepares for a key decision from another major partner, Eli Lilly, regarding its PCSK9 gene editing program for cardiovascular disease. A phase 1b trial of this investigational treatment is expected to yield results in the second quarter of 2025, with Lilly’s decision anticipated later in the year.
