Eli Lilly agreed to acquire Adverum Biotechnologies to secure ixoberogene soroparvovec (ixo‑vec), a Phase III one‑time gene therapy candidate for wet age‑related macular degeneration (wAMD). Lilly said it pursued a whole‑company deal to advance the pivotal program and retain Adverum’s development team, citing the therapy’s potential to reduce chronic anti‑VEGF treatment burden. Adverum had disclosed constrained cash runway, and the acquisition provides Lilly immediate ownership of an AAV2‑based intraocular candidate that aims for sustained intraocular aflibercept expression. Lilly framed the move as expanding its sensory therapeutics portfolio and building on local gene‑therapy expertise. Regulatory timelines and long‑term durability data will determine how quickly the asset can move toward approval and commercial deployment.