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BIO 2025 is off and running. GEN editors discuss the size and scope of the bustling conference hall and share excitement about the week’s talks and panels. News from BIO includes the announcement of Lilly’s acquisition of Verve Therapeutics. Editors discuss the implications of industry-backed therapeutics amid cautious investors and public sentiment. In the realm of AI, Xaira Therapeutics, a $1 billion-backed AI drug discovery unicorn, has capped its first year by releasing the largest publicly available Perturb-seq dataset to support its virtual cell initiative. Additionally, AlphaDesign, a new AI-driven framework, accelerates the creation of functional de novo proteins, moving protein design toward custom therapeutics and precision medicine.
Listed below are links to the GEN stories referenced in this episode of Touching Base
Lilly to Acquire Verve Therapeutics for Up to $1.3B
By Alex Philippidis, GEN Edge, June 17, 2025
Second DMD Patient Dies After Treatment with Sarepta Gene Therapy
By Alex Philippidis, GEN Edge, June 15, 2025
Danon Disease Patient Dies in Rocket Gene Therapy Trial
By Alex Philippidis, GEN Edge, May 27, 2025
Xaira Therapeutics Releases Largest Perturb-Seq Dataset to Power the Virtual Cell
By Fay Lin, GEN Edge, June 17, 2025
AI-Designed Proteins Created De Novo with New AlphaDesign
GEN, June 17, 2025
