A $1B bet on gene editing could bolster Lilly’s CV pipeline

Lilly is using its obesity cash pile to increase the optionality for its fledgling cardiovascular pipeline through a deal that gives the pharma full control of a clinical-stage modality that it already had rights to in what is expected to be a highly competitive space.

The $1 billion price tag it is paying for cardiovascular base editing company  Verve Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ:VERV) — at a 67% premium — suggests  Eli Lilly and Co. (NYSE:LLY) is betting gene editing will be safe enough, and that it can find enough patient demand for use in broad populations despite a string of recent safety setbacks for gene therapies...