Eli Lilly has entered into a collaboration with Seamless Therapeutics focused on the development of gene editing–based treatments for hearing loss. The agreement centers on the use of Seamless’ recombinase technology to address genetic mutations associated with hearing impairment.
Under the terms of the deal, Seamless will be responsible for designing and programming site-specific recombinases that can correct defined gene mutations. Lilly will receive an exclusive license to advance the resulting therapies through preclinical development and subsequent stages. The collaboration applies Seamless’ recombinase platform specifically to hearing loss–related targets.
The agreement could be worth up to $1.12 billion in total. This amount includes an upfront payment, research and development funding, as well as development and commercial milestone payments. The companies did not disclose a detailed breakdown of the financial terms. Seamless will also be eligible to receive tiered royalties on products that reach the market, according to a press announcement released on Wednesday.
Seamless Therapeutics is headquartered in Dresden, Germany, and was launched in 2023. The company was established to apply its gene editing platform to a range of severe diseases. Its technology is based on the site-specific programming of recombinases, which are enzymes used in gene editing to insert or exchange DNA fragments within gene sequences.
Albert Seymour, Ph.D., chief executive officer of Seamless Therapeutics, commented on the agreement with Lilly, describing it as a validation of the company’s platform and its potential. The partnership offers an opportunity to apply Seamless’ technology to hearing loss and to continue expanding the therapeutic potential of programmable recombinases through the company’s proprietary pipeline.
The collaboration with Seamless follows a series of other transactions Lilly has completed over the past year in the genetic medicines space. These include the $1.3 billion acquisition of gene editing partner Verve Therapeutics, a partnership using Sangamo Therapeutics’ neurotropic adeno-associated virus capsid technology to develop a gene therapy for a central nervous system disease, a $475 million agreement involving MeiraGTx’s eye disease gene therapy, and the acquisition of another company developing gene therapies for eye diseases.
In the area of hearing loss, Lilly already has a genetic medicine program in development known as AK-OTOF. The dual adeno-associated viral vector–based gene therapy was obtained through the $487 million acquisition of Akouos in October 2022. AK-OTOF is designed to deliver a functional copy of the otoferlin gene to hair cells in the cochlea. Mutations in the otoferlin gene are linked to hearing loss in approximately 200,000 people worldwide.
In January 2024, Lilly reported that AK-OTOF restored hearing in an 11-year-old patient within 30 days of dosing. At the time of treatment, the patient had experienced profound hearing loss since birth, and following treatment, hearing levels reached normal ranges for some sound frequencies.
Lilly has also pursued additional approaches to genetic hearing loss. In May of the previous year, the company entered into an agreement valued at up to $1.3 billion with Rznomics to access its RNA editing platform, which uses a ribozyme loaded with therapeutic RNA to target RNA transcripts linked to heritable forms of deafness. The companies did not provide a detailed financial breakdown of that deal. At present, there are no approved pharmacologic treatments designed to restore hearing.
Seamless Therapeutics Partners With Eli Lilly on Hearing Loss Gene Editing
Seamless Therapeutics has entered a strategic collaboration with Eli Lilly to develop innovative gene-editing therapies for hearing loss, positioning Seamless Therapeutics at the forefront of next-generation genetic medicine. Through this partnership, Seamless Therapeutics will apply its proprietary programmable recombinase platform to precisely correct genetic mutations associated with inherited hearing disorders.
Under the agreement, Seamless Therapeutics will focus on early research and molecular design, while Eli Lilly will oversee clinical development, regulatory activities, and global commercialization, allowing Seamless Therapeutics to scale its technology efficiently. The collaboration provides Seamless Therapeutics with upfront payments, research funding, and the opportunity to earn significant milestone and royalty payments tied to development success.
