Roche licenses Halozyme's Enhanze in deal worth upto $581M

Swiss drug major Roche has agreed to pay as much as $581.0 million to license transdermal drug delivery technology from the USA's Halozyme Therapeutics. Under the terms of the deal, Roche will pay $20.0 million as an initial upfront payment for the application of Halozyme's Enhanze to three pre-defined biologic targets. Over the next 10 years, Roche will also have the option to exclusively develop and commercialize an additional 10 targets using the technology, which is based on Halozyme's recombinant human hyaluronidase (rHuPH20), an analog of a human enzyme that temporarily clears space in the matrix of tissues such as skin and could improve drug delivery by enhancing the entry of molecules through the subcutaneous space.