STAT+: Eli Lilly says Verve’s gene editor lowers cholesterol levels in early study
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- Eli Lilly reported that a high dose of its gene‑editing therapy VERVE‑102 lowered LDL cholesterol by 62% in participants of a Phase 1 clinical trial.
- VERVE‑102 showed no treatment‑related serious adverse events in the Phase 1 study, a notable safety finding after Verve’s earlier candidate was shelved for safety concerns.
- Verve Therapeutics was bought by Lilly for $1 billion last year, bringing the VERVE‑102 program into Lilly’s pipeline.
- Company executives tout VERVE‑102 as a potential one‑time treatment to broadly prevent heart disease, targeting patients who struggle to stay on conventional cholesterol medicines.
Why it matters: Patients who struggle with conventional cholesterol meds gain a durable, single‑dose solution, and the safety signal revives confidence after Verve’s earlier setback, opening a new therapeutic pathway.
