Dresden, Germany, and Lexington, MA — January 28, 2026 — Leads & Copy — Seamless Therapeutics and Eli Lilly and Company (“Lilly”) have entered into a strategic global research collaboration and licensing agreement to develop and commercialize programmable recombinase-based treatments targeting hearing loss indications.
The collaboration aims to advance a next-generation gene editing approach, combining Seamless’ expertise in developing precise and efficient recombinases with Lilly’s extensive development expertise in genetic hearing disorders.
Seamless’ technology allows large, precise DNA insertions in any target gene sequence, independent of the cell’s natural DNA repair pathway.
Under the agreement, Seamless will design and program site-specific recombinases to correct mutations in genes related to hearing loss. Lilly will receive an exclusive license to advance the programmed recombinases through preclinical and clinical drug development and commercialization.
Seamless CEO, Albert Seymour, Ph.D., stated that Lilly is invested in advancing novel treatment approaches for genetic diseases and shares Seamless’ vision of bringing genetic medicines to patients who currently have limited treatment options. He added that the collaboration validates Seamless’ gene editing platform and its broad disease-modifying potential. He also said that they look forward to working with Lilly to transform the outcome for patients with genetic hearing loss and to expand the therapeutic potential for programmable recombinases through their proprietary pipeline.
Seamless will receive a guaranteed upfront payment and committed research and development funding as part of the agreement. Seamless is eligible for over $1.12 billion, including potential development and commercial milestone payments, excluding tiered royalties on successfully marketed drugs. Further details of the agreement have not been disclosed.
Seamless is translating major breakthroughs in programming recombinases to enable therapeutic gene editing. The company’s technology platform allows for site-specific programmable recombinases engineered for specificity and activity to precisely insert, exchange, invert, or excise DNA fragments in any target gene sequence in the genome. The agreement opens the potential for the technology to address a high unmet need in genetic hearing loss by advancing Seamless’ programmable recombinases.
Seamless Therapeutics is changing the paradigm of gene editing through a pioneering approach that has the potential to address unmet medical needs in patients who suffer from severe conditions. The Seamless technology platform unlocks the programming of recombinases. Seamless is applying its proprietary know-how to develop a pipeline of disease-modifying product candidates across a broad spectrum of indications to expand the therapeutic potential of gene editing.
Source: Seamless Therapeutics
