Eli Lilly signed a global collaboration and license with Seamless Therapeutics to apply Seamless’s programmable recombinase platform to correct genetic causes of hearing loss. The pact includes up to $1.12 billion in milestones and gives Lilly exclusive rights to recombinases evolved to insert therapeutic DNA sequences independently of cellular repair pathways. Seamless, a TU Dresden spinout, will design site‑specific recombinases and advance preclinical candidates; Lilly will lead development and commercialization. Seamless CEO Albert Seymour framed the deal as validation of a recombinase strategy for precise, large DNA edits that are hard to achieve with existing nuclease-based editors. The agreement marks another major pharma investment in next‑generation gene editing beyond CRISPR. It also spotlights a trend toward platform licensing where smaller engineering firms evolve bespoke enzymatic tools and larger companies fund clinical translation and regulatory strategy.