Eli Lilly agreed to buy Engage Biologics in a deal worth up to $202 million to expand its non-viral DNA delivery capabilities for genetic medicines. Engage’s preclinical platform, dubbed Tethosome, aims to deliver DNA payloads using lipid nanoparticles rather than viral vectors, targeting improved tolerability and repeat dosing. The acquisition gives Lilly a technology set intended to address long-standing delivery bottlenecks for DNA therapeutics, including redosability and safety concerns tied to viral systems. Engage’s leadership said the platform is designed to enhance localization and expression by pairing engineered DNA payloads with messenger RNA elements. The move continues Lilly’s broader genetic-medicine expansion through deals that add both modality and platform depth, positioning the company to scale future pipeline efforts across different patient populations and targets.