Roche moves into obesity space with $2.7 billion acquisition

Swiss pharma giant Roche (ROG: SIX) is joining the sector’s charge into the fast-growing market for weight loss treatments, with the news sending the firm's shares up 3.5% to 258.00 francs.

Roche said today that has signed a definitive merger agreement to acquire Carmot Therapeutics, a privately owned US company based in Berkeley, California. Carmot’s R&D portfolio includes clinical-stage subcutaneous and oral incretins with best-in-class potential to treat obesity in patients with and without diabetes, as well as a number of preclinical programs.

Carmot’s clinical pipeline includes subcutaneous and oral incretins with best-in-class potential to treat obesity in patients with and without diabetes. CT-388 is a weekly injectable, Phase II ready, dual GLP-1/GIP receptor agonist for the treatment of obesity in patients with and without type 2 diabetes. CT-996, currently in Phase I, is a once-daily oral, small molecule GLP-1 receptor agonist intended to treat patients with obesity and type 2 diabetes. CT-868 is a Phase II, once-daily subcutaneous injectable, dual GLP-1/GIP receptor agonist intended for the treatment of type 1 diabetes patients with overweight or obesity. Carmot also has pre-clinical programs in development for the treatment of metabolic diseases.