Pharmaceutical company: Roche licenses Chinese weight loss agent

With the partnership, the pharmaceutical company is securing a global license for an active ingredient against obesity. Roche is thus continuing to push into the lucrative market for weight loss products.

Roche headquarters: With the agreement, Roche aims to strengthen its existing pipeline in the areas of cardiovascular, renal and metabolic diseases. Photo: dpa

Zurich. The Swiss pharmaceutical company Roche is making its next foray into the weight loss medication business and has entered into a partnership worth up to around $1.16 billion with the Chinese biotech company Rona Therapeutics. Rona announced on Tuesday that both sides had concluded a licensing agreement for an anti-obesity drug that was currently being developed.

Rona will therefore receive an upfront payment of $100 million. There is also the prospect of milestone payments of up to $1.06 billion as well as staggered revenue shares. The so-called RNAi drug candidate targets the enzyme ALK7, which plays a role in obesity and metabolic diseases.

Roche is increasingly pushing into the lucrative market for weight loss products, which has so far been dominated by Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk. Just in September, the pharmaceutical giant reported positive data from a mid-stage study for its drug candidate enicepatide, which helped patients lose weight and lower blood sugar levels.

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