Roche has gained access to a genetic obesity approach from China’s Rona Therapeutics for up to $100 million in upfront and near-term payments.
Swiss pharma giant Roche has tapped China’s Rona Therapeutics for an RNAi-based activin receptor-like kinase 7 obesity drug candidate, securing another foothold in an already crowded obesity space.
The global licensing deal, announced Tuesday, includes up to $100 million in upfront and near-term milestone payments and as much as $1.06 billion in milestones down the road.
Roche has already been a member of the mainstream obesity peloton, licensing GLP-1, GIP and amylin candidates and pouring money into manufacturing capacity for injectables, all in the name of becoming a top three player in obesity. Now, with the addition of Rona’s platform approach, Roche joins a growing subset of companies looking for a genetic solution to obesity through inhibition of the activin receptor-like kinase 7 (ALK7) protein.
ALK7, which is coded by the ACVR1C gene, is found in adipose tissue and has been discovered as a target for obesity and other metabolic diseases. Quieting the protein could reduce fat deposits while preserving muscle. Muscle loss has been an ongoing side effect of many GLP-1 drugs, and leaders from both Roche and Rona underscoring the importance of optionality for the future of weight loss drugs.
Rona CEO Stella Shi touted the company’s extrahepatic delivery platform as a means for bringing an ALK7 drug candidate to the table. An extrahepatic delivery method allows for genetic agents like mRNA and siRNA that would normally accumulate in the liver to remain outside of the organ to drive a therapeutic effect.
Other drugmakers in the ALK7 race include Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals, which in January revealed interim results from a clinical trial of its drug candidate called ARO-ALK7, which demonstrated a 14.1% placebo-adjusted reduction in visceral fat. Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, an experienced siRNA drug developer, has also embarked on early clinical trials with its own ALK7 candidate, ALN2232.
Meanwhile, GSK, like Roche, has opted for a licensing approach, in May linking up with Chinese biotech SiranBio for $55 million upfront and up to $1 billion total. As part of the deal, GSK will gain access to SA030, SiranBio’s long-acting siRNA oligonucleotide that targets the ALK7 receptor.
The deal follows Roche’s recent pipeline cull of a next-gen obesity program, a muscle-sparing anti-myostatin therapy called emugrobart, after an interim mid-stage analysis determined it was unlikely to elicit meaningful weight loss. Roche returned emugrobart rights to subsidiary Chugai Pharmaceutical.
