Eli Lilly and Company has opened the Lilly Seaport Innovation Center (LSC), a research and development (R&D) hub in the Seaport district of Boston, US.

The centre is set to progress the company's work on RNA and DNA-based therapies and discover new drug targets for diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular issues.

Spanning 346,000ft², the 12-storey building contains laboratories and office space.

Developed and run by Alexandria Real Estate Equities, the hub will also have the first East Coast Lilly Gateway Labs, aiming to enhance collaborative efforts and expedite new medicine development.

It is designed to accommodate 500 Lilly scientists and researchers.

Lilly Research Laboratories chief scientific officer and president, and Lilly immunology president Daniel Skovronsky stated: “The opening of LSC expands upon Lilly's long-standing presence in the Boston area. 

“We are committed to being supportive neighbors in this hub of discovery and innovation, further collaborating with leading institutions and new talent to continue delivering transformative medicines for the people who need them most.” 

The LSC's opening coincides with the expansion of Lilly's partnership with AbCellera Biologics, focusing on therapeutic antibody discovery in immunology, cardiovascular disease and neuroscience.

The collaboration, which began in March 2020, aims to identify antibodies for up to nine therapeutic targets specified by Lilly.

In July 2024, Eli Lilly signed a definitive agreement to acquire Morphic Holding for $3.2bn to expand its inflammatory bowel disease portfolio. 

Through the deal, expected to close in the third quarter of 2024, Lilly will inherit Morphic’s lead asset, MORF-057.

The candidate is under investigation in two Phase II studies for ulcerative colitis and one Phase II study for Crohn’s disease.