This one-shot drug cut bad cholesterol by 62%. Why doctors are watching closely

Team TOI Plus
May 28, 2026 | 17:45 IST
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An experimental Eli Lilly gene-editing drug sharply lowers LDL cholesterol in an early trial, raising hopes of a one-time treatment for high-risk heart patients, but larger studies must still prove long-term safety

For millions of people at high risk of heart disease, keeping cholesterol under control remains a lifelong struggle. Now, a major medical breakthrough has raised hopes: a single infusion that permanently edits a liver gene and sharply lowers “bad” cholesterol for at least a year.

That is the possibility opened up by early results from VERVE-102, an experimental gene-editing medicine being tested by global pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly. If confirmed in larger studies, it could shift cardiovascular care from lifelong management to one-time treatment.
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