Pioneering the Future of Cardiovascular Treatment with Sekar Kathiresan

In this episode of IDEA Collider, host Mike Rea speaks with Dr. Sekar Kathiresan, founder of Verve Therapeutics and now part of Eli Lilly, about one of the boldest ideas in modern medicine: using one-time gene editing to permanently lower cholesterol and prevent heart disease.Dr. Kathiresan shares his journey from immigrant upbringing to Harvard cardiologist, genetic researcher, biotech founder, and now leader inside a global pharmaceutical company. The conversation explores how human genetics, CRISPR base editing, lipid nanoparticle delivery, and asymmetric learning converged to create a potential lifelong solution to cardiovascular disease.They also dive deep into the ethics of gene editing, global access and pricing, early intervention versus chronic care, FDA regulatory challenges, and what the Verve–Lilly acquisition means for the future of cardiometabolic medicine.This episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in biotech innovation, gene therapy, cardiovascular disease, and the future of preventive medicine. 00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome01:16 Sekar Kathiresan's Early Life and Education03:19 Founding Verve and Transition to Entrepreneurship05:35 The Science Behind Verve's Mission10:27 Challenges and Breakthroughs in Gene Editing20:05 Regulatory Hurdles and First Human Trials25:11 Ethical Considerations in Gene Editing27:06 Introduction to Drug Delivery and Ethical Considerations27:51 Historical Context and Pioneers in Medical Procedures28:35 Commercial and Ethical Challenges in Medicine29:32 Innovations in Cardiovascular Treatments32:49 The Role of Gene Editing in Long-term Health37:55 Strategic Partnerships and Industry Insights45:08 Reflections on the US Medical Ecosystem48:54 Conclusion and Future Outlook Keep up with Sekar Kathiresan;LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sekar-sek-kathiresan-3501846/Website: https://www.lilly.com/ Follow Mike Rea On;Website: https://ideacollider.simplecast.com/X: https://x.com/ideapharmaLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bigidea/ Listen to more fantastic podcast episodes: https://ideacollider.simplecast.com/