Startup
German Start-Up Inks Billion-Dollar Deal with Pharma Giant
Dresden-based Seamless Therapeutics has concluded a major strategic agreement with Eli Lilly and Company.
Jan 29, 2026
At the center of the deal is treating hearing impairment. Seamless specializes in high-precision DNA recombinases – genetic recombination enzymes – to correct flaws that cause hearing loss.
The deal sees Lilly providing the young Dresden firm with access to up to USD 1.12 billion for research and development.
“This collaboration is confirmation of our gene-editing platform and its broad potential for changing the course of illnesses,” said Seamless CEO Albert Seymour in a statement. “We look forward to working together with our partners at Lilly on our joint goal of improving treatment results for patients with genetically caused loss of hearing.”
Lilly itself has invested billions in expanding its German operations in recent years.
