Shares of Verve Therapeutics (NASDAQ: VERV) surged over 75% on Tuesday morning following the announcement of a definitive acquisition agreement with Eli Lilly (NYSE: LLY). The pharmaceutical giant plans to acquire Verve in a deal valued at up to $1.3 billion, underscoring its growing interest in gene-editing technologies.
Lilly has offered $10.50 per share in cash, representing a premium of approximately 113% over Verve’s 30-day volume-weighted average stock price, ending June 16, 2025. As part of the deal, Verve shareholders will also receive a non-tradable contingent value right (CVR) per share. This CVR entitles them to an additional $3 per share if the first U.S. Phase 3 patient is dosed with VERVE-102 within 10 years of the agreement’s closure or CVR termination.
Lilly’s interest centers around Verve’s pioneering work in base editing—an advanced form of gene editing that targets individual DNA bases. At the heart of this acquisition is VERVE-102, Verve’s flagship therapy for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), currently being evaluated in a Phase 1b trial.
“VERVE-102 has the potential to transform cardiovascular care from a chronic treatment model to a one-time, curative approach,” said Ruth Gimeno, Lilly’s VP of diabetes and metabolic R&D.
While the stock’s sharp rise may give pause to late investors, the added value of the CVR keeps the door open for those willing to bet on VERVE-102’s clinical progress. However, as with any experimental therapy, risk remains until Phase 3 trials commence.
Despite Verve’s headline-making deal, analysts from The Motley Fool did not include the company in their latest top 10 stock picks, suggesting other opportunities may yield stronger returns in the long term.
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News Source: Finance.Yahoo.com
