Business

Watertown Life Science Company to be Acquired by Eli Lilly

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Orna Therapeutics Logo

Pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly will be acquiring a company in the East End of Watertown Arsenal, the two companies announced on Feb. 9. Orna Therapeutics is based at 500 Forge, a building near Home Depot that used to house Miller’s Ale House and offices into lab space. The following announcement was released Monday:

Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE: LLY) and Orna Therapeutics, Inc., a biotechnology company dedicated to engineering immune cells in vivo, today announced entry into a definitive agreement for Lilly to acquire Orna. Orna is advancing a new class of therapeutics utilizing engineered circular RNA paired with novel lipid nanoparticles to allow the patient’s own body to generate cell therapies that can treat underlying disease.

Around Town

Learn Tips for Living Longer, Join the Winter Biking Basics Webinar

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Live Well Watertown has an in-person event about the Blue Zones, places in the world where people live longest, as well as an online info session about bicycling in the winter. See more information provided by the City of Watertown, below. Join us as we partner with the City of Watertown’s Live Well program to screen and discuss the Blue Zone Netflix Documentary. The film highlights five unique communities where people live longer better. The evening will include discussion, resources, and tips about longevity shared by five areas around the world.

Around Town

Watertown’s Wayside Multi-Service Center Had a Scare with Threatened Cut of Federal Grant

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The Wayside Multi-Service Center is located on North Beacon Street in Watertown. (Courtesy of Wayside)

The Wayside Multi-Service Center momentarily saw one-third of its budget disappear, with the removal of a federal grant. While the grant was restored within days, Sophia Suarez-Friedman, Program Director for Wayside Multi-Service Center, said it was both a stark reminder and a heartening response. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services (SAMHSA) grant accounts for a large portion of the Wayside’s program in Watertown. It is used to support youth with trauma in Watertown and Waltham, and their families.

Government

Council Roundup: Councilor Elected Head of Statewide Board, DPW Equipment Funded, Contracts Approved

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Watertown District B Councilor Lisa Feltner was elected president of the Mass. Municipal Councillors’ Association.(Photo by Krista Photography | Krista Guenin)

The City Council had a full agenda on Jan. 27, with votes to approve equipment purchases by the Department of Public Works, approval of contracts for multiple City unions, and a Watertown City Councilor was elected head of a statewide board. Also, the date for the Skip the Stuff Ordinance to be considered was announced. At the meeting, City Manager George Proakis announced that the City will be cancelling its contract with Flock Safety for license plate reading cameras.

Entertainment

Watertown’s Shana Gozansky Directing “Little Women” at the Mosesian Center for the Arts

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Director Shana Gozansky (center, left) addresses (from left) Aislinn Brophy, Chloe McFarlane, Olivia Fenton, and Kaila Pelton-Flavin in rehearsal for Actors’ Shakespeare Project’s “Little Women.” (Photo courtesy of Actors’ Shakespeare Project)

A modern adaptation of “Little Women” will hit the stage at the Mosesian Center for the Arts from Feb. 5 to March 1. The Actors’ Shakespeare Project production is being directed by Watertown’s Shana Gozansky. Gozansky makes her debut with Actors’ Shakespeare Project (ASP) directing playwright Kate Hamill’s adaptation of the novel by Louisa May Alcott.

Government

Watertown City Officials Join State Reps. on Beacon Hill to Ask for Residential Tax Relief

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Watertown City and State officials appeared before a joint committee at the State House on Jan. 27, 2026. Pictured, from left, Steve Owens, George Proakis, John Lawn, Earl Smith, and Mark Sideris. City officials from Watertown joined state representatives on Beacon Hill to request an extension to a bill that allowed Watertown to shift more of the property tax burden from residential properties to commercial properties. The shift would allow a 50/50 split, instead of the current requirements of state law to have 61 percent of the tax levy coming from residential properties.