On July 20, Verve Therapeutics, Inc., a biotechnology company pioneering a new approach to the care of cardiovascular disease, announced that it entered into an exclusive, four-year global research collaboration with Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated, a global biotechnology company that invests in innovative and transformative medicines. The collaboration is focused on discovering and developing an in vivo gene editing program for a liver disease. Under the terms of the agreement, Verve received an upfront payment of $60 million, including a $35 million equity investment in Verve, and is eligible to receive success payments, development and commercial milestones and tiered royalties on future net sales for any products that may result from this collaboration agreement.

The WilmerHale team representing Verve in the strategic collaboration with Vertex was led by Sarah Hogan and Elese Hanson, with assistance from Fred Adam, Rachael Kent and Lauren Roberts. The WilmerHale team representing Verve in the equity investment by Vertex was led by Craig Hilts, Erin Garrity and Alex Bloom.

On July 21, 2022, Verve announced the pricing of its upsized underwritten public offering of 8,333,334 shares of common stock. At a public offering price of $27.00 per share, the total gross proceeds are approximately $225.0 million before underwriting discounts and commissions and offering expenses. Verve granted the underwriters a 30-day option to purchase up to 1,250,000 additional shares of common stock at the public offering price, less the underwriting discounts and commissions.

The WilmerHale team representing Verve in the public offering was led by Craig Hilts, Andrea Sorrentino, Erin Garrity and Alex Bloom, with assistance from Julie Hogan Rodgers and Heidi Treiber.