The acquisition aligns with Eli Lilly’s broader diversification strategy beyond its core diabetes and obesity treatment portfolio.

Drugmaker Eli Lilly plans to buy Verve Therapeutics, a gene-editing startup, for about $1 billion upfront. The deal gives Lilly a potential new treatment for heart disease, The Wall Street Journal reported.

Eli Lilly agreed to acquire Verve Therapeutics for about $1 billion upfront, adding a potential treatment for cardiovascular disease to its portfolio.Under the agreement, the pharmaceutical company will buy all of the gene-editing startup’s shares outstanding for $10.