Roche Secures Global License to Rona Therapeutics' Obesity Drug Candidate

MT Newswires · 3d ago
05:15 AM EDT, 10/13/2026 (MT Newswires) -- Roche (RO.SW) entered into a global licensing deal for China-based Rona Therapeutics' experimental ribonucleic acid interference, or RNAi, drug for obesity and metabolic diseases, according to a Tuesday release. Under the deal, Roche will pay Rona up to $100 million in upfront and in early payments, as well as up to $1.06 billion related to development, regulatory, and commercial milestones. The Chinese RNAi therapeutics company is also entitled to tiered royalties on global net sales. Rona said its drug candidate works by inhibiting the activin receptor-like kinase 7, a "genetically validated" target for obesity and metabolic conditions.