Roche secures major deals for Parkinson’s and obesity drug candidates

Roche has entered into two significant licensing agreements to expand its pharmaceutical pipeline in neurodegenerative and metabolic diseases.

In a deal worth up to US$1.27 billion, Roche has secured global rights to Alector’s preclinical Parkinson’s disease candidate, AL050. The agreement includes a US$100 million upfront payment, with an additional US$1.17 billion contingent on development, regulatory, and commercial milestones. AL050 utilizes Alector’s proprietary Brain Carrier (ABC) platform to deliver an enzyme replacement therapy across the blood-brain barrier to address GCase deficiency.

Separately, Roche has signed a global agreement with China-based Rona Therapeutics for an experimental obesity treatment, valued at up to US$1.16 billion. This deal includes US$100 million in upfront and near-term payments, plus up to US$1.06 billion in milestone payments. Unlike existing incretin-based drugs, this therapy uses RNA interference to target the ALK7 receptor in fat cells, aiming to reduce visceral fat while preserving lean body mass.