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Verve Therapeutics rose more than 75% in premarket trading after Eli Lilly announced that it would buy the gene-editing biotech company.

The acquisition is a sign Lilly is looking for other paths to sustain growth after the patents for its blockbuster weight-loss and diabetes drugs expire about a decade from now. Verve generated $32.3 million in revenue last year and has not yet reported a profitable quarter.

Verves experimental therapy has the potential to be the first in vivo gene editing therapy for broad patient populations and could shift the treatment paradigm for cardiovascular disease from chronic care to one-and-done treatment, Ruth Gimeno, Lillys vice president of diabetes and metabolic R&D, said in a statement.

Lilly said it would pay $10.50 per share in cash for Verve, with an additional $3 per share in the event that a phase three clinical trial for its lead program starts within a decade of closing. The stock closed at $6.27 on Monday and is above $10 before market open.

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SpaceX gets a wave of bullish ratings from Wall Street analysts

SpaceX received more than a dozen positive analyst calls on Tuesday — including from major Wall Street banks — as they initiate coverage on Elon Musk’s space and AI company.

SpaceX went public on June 12 at a $2.2 trillion valuation, the largest debut in history. While the company hasn’t yet posted a profit, it seems to have convinced Wall Street that it will get there and grow its valuation on the way.

Of the at least 17 analysts that gave a rating on Tuesday, all but one gave it a “buy” or “outperform” rating. MoffettNathanson was "neutral."

The ratings come as SpaceX joined the Nasdaq 100 index, a benchmark tech-heavy basket of companies that underpins millions of portfolios. The inclusion adds built-in demand for the stock from index funds and ETFs.

Still, SpaceX fell more than 5% on Tuesday amid a broader sell-off, and is currently effectively flat from its opening price of $150 a share.

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