Eli Lilly announced its acquisition of CRISPR startup Verve Therapeutics for up to $1.3 billion, strengthening its cardiovascular disease portfolio. Verve’s lead candidate, VERVE-102, is an in vivo CRISPR base editing therapy targeting PCSK9 to address atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and familial hypercholesterolemia, currently in Phase Ib trials with FDA fast track designation. The acquisition follows breakthrough in vivo base editing news and regulatory clearances for similar therapies, marking a comeback for the advanced genome editing field.