Eli Lilly & Co. agreed to buy gene-editing biotech company Verve Therapeutics Inc. for $1.3 billion, the drugmaker’s latest investment in an experimental medicine that could fuel its long-term growth.

Eli Lilly will acquire gene-editing startup Verve Therapeutics for up to $1.3 billion, the companies said on Tuesday, to boost its pipeline of experimental medicines beyond its blockbuster weight-loss and diabetes drugs.

Eli Lilly will acquire Verve Therapeutics for up to $1.3 billion, the companies said on Tuesday. Verve is developing therapies targeting genes that regulate cholesterol in the liver. (Reporting by Sriparna Roy in Bengaluru;