On May 20, 2026, Engage Biologics, a preclinical biotechnology company pioneering non-viral DNA delivery, today announced that it has been acquired by Eli Lilly and Company.

Engage is developing the Tethosome platform, a novel non-viral DNA delivery system designed to overcome key limitations in DNA delivery, including potency, tolerability, and redosability. The platform combines engineered DNA payloads with lipid nanoparticle delivery and an mRNA-encoded proprietary Tethosome technology designed to enhance localization and increase expression. Engage’s DNA payloads are further engineered to improve tolerability while retaining key advantages of DNA-based therapies, including durability and programmability.

Under the terms of the agreement, Lilly acquired Engage for up to $202 million in cash, including an upfront payment and subsequent payments upon achievement of specified development milestones.

Engage Bio is a San Carlos, California-based startup founded in 2021 that is advancing novel non-viral DNA delivery systems. The company’s mission is to solve the two key limitations, nuclear localization and innate immune sensing, that have held back the field of non-viral DNA to date.

Engage is supported by seed investors including SciFounders, Pioneer Fund, Cal Innovation Fund, Y Combinator, and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, and has received non-dilutive funding from the Gates Foundation and NIH-NCATS.