Lilly Signs Seamless Gene-Editing Deal for Over $1.1 Billion

Eli Lilly & Co. struck a deal worth more than $1.1 billion with German biotech Seamless Therapeutics GmbH to develop gene therapies for hearing loss.

Closely-held Seamless will design a type of enzyme, called recombinases, that could be programmed to correct mutations in certain genes related to hearing loss. Lilly, which brings the hearing expertise to the partnership, will get an exclusive license to use the recombinases to develop experimental drugs, the companies said Wednesday.

Lilly’s revenue is centered around its blockbuster weight-loss drug Zepbound, but the company is already preparing for the patent to expire in roughly a decade ...