By Ed SilvermanMay 26, 2026
Pharmalot Columnist, Senior Writer
Rise and shine, everyone, another busy day is on the way. And it is getting off to a good start here on the Pharmalot campus, where we have clear blue skies and chilly breezes greeting us today. Who could ask for anything more? Actually, we could — it is time to reheat the coffee kettle for another cup of stimulation. Our choice today is strawberry creme, a pantry favorite. Please feel free to join us. Remember, no prescription is required and no rebates are involved. And now, here are your tidbits. Hope you have a productive and meaningful day, and, as always, please do keep in touch. We have adjusted our settings to accept postcards and telegrams. …
Eli Lilly reported that a high dose of its gene-editing therapy reduced cholesterol levels by 62% in participants in a Phase 1 clinical trial, an early but encouraging test of whether a one-time treatment may one day help people seeking to lower their LDL, or “bad,” cholesterol, STAT writes. Lilly acquired the therapy in its $1 billion buyout of Verve Therapeutics last year. There were no treatment-related serious adverse events in the study, a notable finding given that Verve had to shelve its first candidate over safety concerns. Lilly now plans to begin a Phase 2 trial in an unspecified number of patients and will likely need to then run Phase 3 trials in thousands of patients for the treatment to earn approval.
