Verve PCSK9-inhibitor gene therapy

VERVE-101 and VERVE-102 are an experimental gene therapy developed by Verve Therapeutics that targets the PCSK9 gene and is intended to reduce blood cholesterol levels. It works on the same protein as the cholesterol-lowering drugs known as PCSK9 inhibitors but, unlike them, is permanent. It works via base editing, a form of CRISPR gene editing. It is one of the first gene therapies that could be beneficial to a wider segment of the population, in contrast to earlier gene therapies that were developed to treat a rare genetic disorder. Both treatments use the same RNA gene editing technology, but they use a different lipid nanoparticle delivery vehicle.