Eli Lilly Expands Gene Therapy Portfolio with $262 Million Acquisition of Adverum Biotechnologies

October 2025 — Indianapolis, IN / Redwood City, CA — Eli Lilly and Company announced the acquisition of Adverum Biotechnologies in a deal valued at up to USD 262 million, strengthening Lilly’s strategic position in gene therapy and ophthalmology.

This move underscores the company’s continued expansion into next-generation therapeutic platforms and its long-term commitment to treating chronic diseases through durable, one-time gene-based interventions.

A Strategic Move into Gene Therapy for Vision Disorders

Under the agreement, Lilly will gain full rights to Ixo-vec, Adverum’s lead gene therapy candidate for wet age-related macular degeneration (wAMD).

The therapy, delivered via a single intravitreal injection, is designed to provide sustained expression of an anti-VEGF protein, potentially reducing or eliminating the need for frequent injections required by current standard-of-care treatments.

Adverum’s proprietary AAV.7m8 vector platform and manufacturing know-how will also become part of Lilly’s internal gene therapy capabilities, providing a new foundation for developing long-acting ophthalmic and systemic gene therapies.

“The acquisition of Adverum aligns perfectly with our vision to deliver innovative, durable treatments that transform the patient experience,”said Daniel Skovronsky, Chief Scientific and Medical Officer at Lilly.

Photo by National Cancer Institute on Unsplash 

Consolidation Across the Gene Therapy Ecosystem

The acquisition comes amid a wave of renewed investment in cell and gene therapy (CGT) by major pharmaceutical companies, following encouraging clinical results and improving regulatory clarity in the U.S. and Europe.

Lilly’s move signals growing confidence in the commercial viability of one-time gene therapies, particularly for ophthalmic, neuromuscular, and metabolic diseases.

Industry analysts note that as large biopharma firms integrate discovery platforms with manufacturing infrastructure, the demand for scalable and compliant viral vector production is expected to rise sharply.

This trend is also fueling new opportunities for CDMO partners specializing in process optimization and quality assurance.

In Asia, Hillgene and other emerging CDMOs are positioning themselves to meet this global demand by developing integrated vector-to-vial platforms, enabling efficient, regulatory-aligned manufacturing of gene therapy products.

Photo by Hillgene

Toward Durable and Accessible Genetic Medicines

Lilly’s acquisition of Adverum highlights a critical shift in the therapeutic landscape—from chronic dosing toward durable genetic correction.

The move not only enhances Lilly’s ophthalmology pipeline but also sets the stage for broader applications of AAV-mediated gene delivery in metabolic and neurodegenerative diseases.

“The future of medicine is one where a single treatment can restore long-term function,” said Head of Translational Science at Hillgene. “Achieving that vision will require seamless integration from design to manufacturing—and this deal is a clear step in that direction.”

Source: Reuters, Eli Lilly to acquire gene therapy developer Adverum Biotechnologies in a deal worth about USD 262 million, October 24, 2025.