Eli Lilly Partners with Seamless Therapeutics on Up to $1.12B Recombinase Gene Editing Deal for Hearing Loss

Eli Lilly and Seamless Therapeutics announced a global research collaboration and licensing agreement on January 28, 2026, to develop programmable recombinase-based therapeutics for hearing loss.15

Seamless' recombinase platform enables large, precise DNA insertions independent of the cell's natural DNA repair pathway, targeting mutations in genes related to hearing loss.124

Seamless will design and program site-specific recombinases; Lilly gets an exclusive license for preclinical, clinical development, and commercialization.134

Deal value:
Seamless receives upfront payment, R&D funding, up to over $1.12 billion in milestones, plus tiered royalties.147

Seamless is a Dresden-based biotech with US subsidiary; technology evolved from academic work by Prof. Frank Buchholz at TU Dresden.34

This validates Seamless' platform, with animal study data presented to Lilly; discussions began in 2024.34

Sources:

1. https://www.marketscreener.com/news/seamless-therapeutics-announces-global-research-collaboration-with-lilly-to-develop-programmable-rec-ce7e5bd9df8af725

2. https://www.fiercebiotech.com/biotech/lilly-pens-11b-pact-german-biotech-work-gene-editing-med-hearing-loss

3. https://european-biotechnology.com/latest-news/gene-editing-hearing-loss-billion-dollar-deal-seamless-therapeutics/

4. https://www.genengnews.com/topics/genome-editing/lilly-seamless-ink-up-to-1-12b-hearing-loss-collaboration/

5. https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2026/01/28/3227440/0/en/Seamless-Therapeutics-Announces-Global-Research-Collaboration-with-Lilly-to-Develop-Programmable-Recombinase-based-Therapeutics-for-Hearing-Loss.html

7. https://www.thepharmaletter.com/biotech-news/seamless-to-earn-up-to-1-12-billion-in-lilly-deal