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May 26, 2026 4:00 AM

Chamath Palihapitiya Said This To Eli Lilly's Gene Therapy That Slashes LDL Cholesterol Up To 62%

Venture capitalist Chamath Palihapitiya responded “What?!?!?!” on X, amplifying analyst Cremieux‘s post describing Eli Lilly and Company‘s (NYSE:LLY) VERVE-102 as “a powerful, permanent gene therapy for LDL cholesterol.”

What?!?!?! https://t.co/Pl39USIdBZ

— Chamath Palihapitiya (@chamath) May 25, 2026

What Triggered The Reaction

On Monday, Lilly reported positive Phase 1b data for VERVE-102, an investigational in vivo base editing medicine designed to permanently silence the PCSK9 gene in the liver, potentially replacing chronic cholesterol therapies with a single infusion.

PCSK9 is a gene that codes for an enzyme. When it is overactive, it reduces the number of LDL receptors in liver cells. As a result, more low-density lipoprotein cholesterol remains in circulation in the bloodstream. Permanently silencing this gene is the central therapeutic approach behind VERVE-102.

Data Shows Strong Efficacy

Published simultaneously in The New England Journal of Medicine and presented at the European Atherosclerosis Society Congress, the Heart-2 interim analysis of 35 participants showed dose-dependent mean LDL-C reductions of up to 62% and PCSK9 ...