Lilly pens deal with Gateway Labs alumni Amplitude for RNA vaccine platform for infectious disease

Biotech Lilly pens deal with Gateway Labs alumni Amplitude for RNA vaccine platform for infectious disease By Marissa Russo Aug 20, 2026 10:45am Eli Lilly Licensing deals RNA infectious disease Eli Lilly has turned to one of its Gateway Labs residents to help the Big Pharma develop trans-amplifying RNA (taRNA) vaccines for infectious diseases. The collaboration—for which financial details weren't disclosed—will see Lilly and Boston-based Amplitude Therapeutics initially focus on undisclosed infectious disease vaccine programs “with high unmet need,” according to an Aug. 20 release.

Lilly also has the option to add up to two more infectious disease targets. Amplitude—which according to its website is still operating in stealth—is a member of Lilly's Gateway Labs incubator program. The program's Boston outpost is based at the Lilly Seaport Innovation Center.

Since it was founded in 2022, Amplitude has secured backing from the likes of ARCH Venture Partners, Newpath Partners, Alta Partners and the Gates Foundation, as well as the U.S. government's Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations. Amplitude is focused on developing a next-generation taRNA platform for vaccines, with a focus on infectious disease.

This platform is essentially a two-part genetic delivery system, consisting of a replicase, which tells your cell to make a copy of the enzyme, and the antigen-encoding RNA components, which are the genetic blueprints for the vaccine or therapy. The biotech's hope is that this will result in enhanced potency, lower doses and improved manufacturability compared to other RNA modalities. This morning's deal will see Amplitude take the lead on taRNA optimization and certain elements of preclinical research, with Lilly picking up the baton for preclinical development and on into human testing.

“Our ambition at Amplitude is to build a leading in vivo RNA platform by advancing both taRNA and LNP technologies with significant potential to expand what is possible across vaccines and therapeutics,” Amplitude CEO Cory Sago, Ph.D., said in the release. “This collaboration gives us the opportunity to translate and validate our taRNA technology across multiple vaccine programs targeting infectious diseases with high unmet need, leveraging Lilly's global development, manufacturing and commercialization scale,” Sago added. Lilly's pact with Amplitude comes after a major buying spree for the company.

In May alone, the Big Pharma splurged $202 million for Engage Biologics and its preclinical non-viral DNA delivery systems, followed by a $3.8 billion biobucks triple acquisition of Curevo, LimmaTech Biologics, and Vaccine Company to extend Lilly's viral and bacterial pathogen R&D. Eli Lilly Licensing deals RNA infectious disease Deals Biotech