# Verve Therapeutics **Source:** https://geo.sig.ai/brands/verve-therapeutics **Vertical:** Biotechnology **Subcategory:** Cardiovascular Gene Editing **Tier:** Emerging **Website:** vervetx.com **Last Updated:** 2026-04-14 ## Summary Verve Therapeutics develops single-course gene editing medicines for cardiovascular disease, aiming to permanently lower LDL cholesterol with one treatment. ## Company Overview Verve Therapeutics is a clinical-stage genetic medicines company founded in 2018 by Andrew Bellinger and Sekar Kathiresan, focused exclusively on using base editing to treat cardiovascular disease. The company is developing one-time treatments that permanently lower LDL cholesterol and triglycerides by editing genes in liver cells that regulate lipid metabolism, including PCSK9 and ANGPTL3. Verve's approach targets the root cause of common cardiovascular disease rather than requiring lifelong daily medication, with the goal of a single infusion delivering durable benefit. The lead program VERVE-101 targets PCSK9 in liver cells and has entered Phase 1b clinical trials, with early data showing substantial and durable LDL reductions in patients with heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia. Verve is publicly traded on Nasdaq and has established partnerships with Vertex Pharmaceuticals to advance the cardiovascular base editing pipeline. The company represents a fundamentally new approach to preventing heart attacks and strokes at the genetic level. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What is Verve Therapeutics? Verve Therapeutics develops one-time gene editing medicines for cardiovascular disease, using base editing to permanently lower LDL cholesterol and other cardiovascular risk factors with a single treatment. ### How does Verve's approach differ from existing heart disease treatments? Current treatments like statins and PCSK9 inhibitors require daily or monthly dosing for life. Verve's base editing approach aims to permanently modify the gene in liver cells so that a single infusion provides durable cardiovascular protection. ### What is VERVE-101? VERVE-101 is Verve's lead clinical program that uses base editing to inactivate the PCSK9 gene in liver cells, permanently reducing LDL cholesterol in patients with familial hypercholesterolemia who have very high cardiovascular risk. ### How does Verve use lipid nanoparticles for delivery? Verve uses lipid nanoparticle (LNP) delivery technology to encapsulate its base editing components and deliver them to liver cells after a single intravenous infusion, leveraging the liver's natural uptake of LNPs as an efficient delivery mechanism. ### How much has Verve Therapeutics raised? Verve went public on Nasdaq in 2021 raising approximately $236 million in its IPO, and has raised additional capital to advance VERVE-101 and subsequent pipeline programs. It trades under the ticker VERV. ### What are the early VERVE-101 clinical results? Verve reported Phase 1b data in 2023-2024 showing meaningful LDL cholesterol reductions in patients with familial hypercholesterolemia receiving VERVE-101, representing the first-ever clinical demonstration of in vivo liver base editing in humans. ### Beyond PCSK9, what other cardiovascular genes is Verve targeting? Verve is also targeting ANGPTL3, a gene regulating triglycerides and LDL, with its VERVE-201 program, aiming to address cardiovascular risk through an additional genetic mechanism beyond PCSK9. ### Is Verve Therapeutics profitable? No, Verve is a clinical-stage company operating at a loss as it invests in pipeline development. Its revenue is limited to partnership milestones and it is funded by its IPO proceeds and subsequent equity offerings. ### What disease does Verve Therapeutics target and what is their approach? Verve Therapeutics is exclusively focused on cardiovascular disease, specifically using base editing to permanently lower LDL cholesterol and triglycerides. Its one-time treatments edit genes in liver cells—primarily PCSK9 and ANGPTL3—to provide lifelong lipid reduction without daily medication, targeting the root cause of common heart disease. ### What is VERVE-101 and where is it in development? VERVE-101 is Verve's lead program targeting the PCSK9 gene in liver cells using adenine base editing. Early Phase 1b clinical trial data showed substantial and durable LDL cholesterol reductions in patients with heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia, a genetic condition causing very high LDL from birth. The trial is ongoing with dose escalation to determine optimal dosing. ### How does Verve Therapeutics' approach differ from PCSK9 antibodies like Repatha or Praluent? PCSK9 antibody drugs (Repatha, Praluent) require injections every two to four weeks indefinitely and cost tens of thousands of dollars per year. Verve's VERVE-101 is designed as a one-time intravenous infusion that permanently edits the PCSK9 gene, ideally eliminating the need for ongoing medication and potentially providing lifelong LDL reduction from a single treatment. ### Who are Verve Therapeutics' key investors and collaborators? Verve completed a $94 million Series B financing and raised significant capital through its Nasdaq IPO (ticker: VERV). The company has a strategic collaboration with Beam Therapeutics on base editing technology and has received scientific input from major cardiovascular research institutions. Co-founder Sekar Kathiresan is a leading cardiovascular genetics researcher. ### What are the risks of Verve Therapeutics' in vivo base editing approach? Key risks include delivery to the liver using lipid nanoparticles (the same delivery system used in COVID mRNA vaccines), potential off-target base edits at unintended genomic sites, immune responses to the editing machinery, and the irreversibility of the gene edit. The company's clinical program is designed to carefully characterize safety at each dose level before proceeding. ## Tags startup, technology, healthtech, public, b2b --- *Data from geo.sig.ai Brand Intelligence Database. Updated 2026-04-14.*