Roche Partners with Hanmi Pharm to Develop Novel Weight Loss Therapy HM17321
Roche has entered into an exclusive licensing agreement with Hanmi Pharm to develop, manufacture, and commercialize a novel metabolic treatment candidate, HM17321. The partnership aims to advance a non-incretin peptide therapy that mimics urocortin-2 to bind the CRF2 receptor, a mechanism designed to simultaneously reduce fat mass while preserving lean body mass. This differentiates HM17321 from current GLP-1 therapies, which often result in a user reduction in lean body mass. Genentech, a subsidiary of Roche, will pay Hanmi Pharm an upfront payment of $190 million, with a total deal value potentially reaching $2.3 billion including milestones. Hanmi Pharm will complete the Phase 1 clinical trial to assess safety and tolerability, after which Genentech will take over development from Phase 2 onward. The agreement covers worldwide markets excluding South Korea. Boris L. Zaïtra, head of Roche Corporate Business Development, stated that the partnership will pursue a different approach to selectively reduce fat mass while improving muscle function. In-Young Choi, Senior Executive Vice President of Hanmi Pharm, noted that the obesity treatment paradigm is evolving toward improving body composition and restoring metabolic health.