Pharmaceutical industry Roche cooperates with Zealand Pharma in the field of obesity
Roche is expanding its portfolio for the treatment of obesity and overweight with an exclusive license agreement with Zealand Pharma. Together, the two companies intend to further develop and market Petrelintide, as the Basel-based company announced on Wednesday.
12.03.2025, 08:35
SDA
The agreement with the Danish company opens up a range of therapeutic options, including the use of petrelintide as monotherapy and in combination with Roche's lead compound CT 388, which is also being tested for the treatment of obesity.
Petrelintide is currently in Phase II clinical development. It is a long-acting amylin analog suitable for once-weekly subcutaneous administration.
Under the terms of the agreement, Zealand Pharma will receive upfront payments of 1.65 billion US dollars, of which 1.4 billion will be paid upon signing and 250 million during the first two years of the collaboration.
In addition, Zealand Pharma is entitled to development milestones of USD 1.2 billion, which are primarily linked to the start of a Phase III trial with petrelintide as a monotherapy, as well as sales-related milestones of USD 2.4 billion. In total, Zealand Pharma could receive up to 5.3 billion dollars.
Profits and losses for Petrelintide and Petrelintide/CT-388 will be split 50:50 in the US and Europe. In these territories, the companies will jointly market Petrelintide. Meanwhile, Zealand Pharma is entitled to tiered royalties ranging from double-digit to high ten percent royalties on net sales in the rest of the world, where Roche holds exclusive rights.
The closing of the transaction is subject to regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions. The parties expect the transaction to close in the second quarter of 2025.
