Beyond Obesity: Eli Lilly's Genetic Medicine Bet On Verve Therapeutics
Cambridge, MA - July 11: Verve CEO and cofounder Sekar Kathiresan. Cambridge company Verve ... More Therapeutics announced on Tuesday morning that it has dosed the first patient with its new CRISPR gene editing technology called base editing, which changes a single letter of DNA into another letter to treat genetic disease. (Photo by Suzanne Kreiter/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
Eli Lilly's $1.3 billion acquisition of Verve Therapeutics represents a strategic move into cardiovascular genetic medicine. The pharmaceutical behemoth paid a substantial premium of approximately 113% above Verve's 30-day volume-weighted average trading price, triggering an 80% surge in Verve's stock price on June 17, 2025.
The acquisition aligns with Eli Lilly's broader diversification strategy beyond its core diabetes and obesity treatment portfolio. Verve's innovative gene-editing technology, which permanently deactivates the PCSK9 gene to address high cholesterol, represents a breakthrough approach to cardiovascular disease treatment. This move positions Lilly to capture value in the high-impact cardiovascular therapeutics market while expanding its genetic medicine capabilities. On a separate note, see – SoundHound AI: Buy, Sell Or Hold SOUN Stock At $10?
Despite the premium paid for Verve, Eli Lilly's core valuation metrics suggest reasonable positioning relative to historical norms. Trading at 57 times trailing adjusted earnings of $13.76 per share, the company's current valuation sits below its three-year average P/E ratio of 66 times. This suggests that while the stock commands a premium, it remains within established valuation parameters given the company's strong financial and operational performance as seen in Buy or Sell Eli Lilly Stock dashboard.
Several key risks warrant attention in evaluating Eli Lilly stock:
The Verve Therapeutics acquisition reinforces Eli Lilly's position as an attractive investment opportunity, supported by strong demand for its obesity treatments and successful diversification into high-potential therapeutic areas. That said, there always remains a meaningful risk when investing in a single, or just a handful, of stocks. Consider Trefis High Quality (HQ) Portfolio which, with a collection of 30 stocks, has a track record of comfortably outperforming the S&P 500 over the last 4-year period. Why is that? As a group, HQ Portfolio stocks provided better returns with less risk versus the benchmark index; less of a roller-coaster ride as evident in HQ Portfolio performance metrics.
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