On Jun. 3, 2026, Ascidian Therapeutics said it has signed a licensing deal for its gene-editing technology with pharma major Eli ​Lilly, worth up to $1.9 billion, to develop new therapies for rare ‌inherited kidney diseases.

Lilly will get exclusive rights to use the privately held biotech’s RNA exon-editing technology for certain undisclosed kidney disease targets. The technology is designed to correct faulty ​genes without permanently altering a patient’s DNA.

CRISPR gene editing is a Nobel Prize-winning technology, which uses molecular “scissors” to trim faulty parts of genes that can then be disabled or ​replaced with new ​strands of ⁠normal DNA.

Ascidian will lead early research and some preclinical work, while Lilly will handle later development, ​manufacturing and commercialization. Lilly may add more targets, ​while Ascidian ⁠retains rights to pursue other kidney disease programs elsewhere.

In ​2024, Ascidian had licensed the technology to Swiss drugmaker Roche to develop therapies targeting difficult-to-treat ​neurological diseases.