In a strategic move that could protect its obesity pipeline from future patent litigation, Roche is paying $100 million to secure a license from Structure Therapeutics.
The agreement grants Roche and its subsidiary Genentech a nonexclusive license to certain patents related to CT-996, the oral GLP-1 drug the Swiss pharma gained from its $2.7 billion buyout of Carmot Therapeutics. Besides the one-time $100 million payment, Roche will also pay Structure’s subsidiary, Gasherbrum Bio, royalties in the low-single-digit range on future net sales of CT-996-related products.
The deal was signed Dec. 30 and disclosed by Structure in a securities filing Jan. 5.
The announcement doesn’t include any specifics on the patents covered. It’s possible that Structure owns intellectual property with potential infringement claims against CT-996 or other related molecules, prompting Roche to secure such a deal.
It was Roche that reached out about a potential license agreement, according to Structure. The license could help the Swiss pharma avoid potential future patent infringement claims, Leerink Partners analysts observed in a note Monday.
CT-996 shares the same chemical scaffold with danuglipron, the oral GLP-1 asset Pfizer axed last spring after one patient developed potential drug-induced liver injury. The Roche license is not related to Structure’s own oral GLP-1 receptor agonist, aleniglipron, the company said.
The Roche license deal supports Structure management’s view “that the company has the broadest and strongest global IP portfolio related to GLP-1 receptor agonist small molecules,” the Leerink team said.
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Roche is counting on a suite of newly acquired assets, including CT-996, to become a top-3 obesity company after entering the weight loss space through the Carmot buyout. The lead asset from the acquisition, a once-weekly injectable GLP-1/GIP receptor agonist dubbed CT-388, is being pushed into phase 3.
CT-996 reported some early-stage data in 2024, including placebo-adjusted weight reduction of 6.1% after four weeks of treatment in individuals with obesity and without Type 2 diabetes.
Additionally, through a potential $5.3 billion deal, Roche is collaborating with Zealand Pharma on the latter’s long-acting amylin analog petrelintide. The deal includes a clause in which Zealand will pay Roche for a fixed-dose combination of petrelintide and CT-388.
As for Structure, the San Francisco biotech recently reported a 11.3% placebo-adjusted weight loss from a 120-mg dose of aleniglipron in a phase 2b study after 36 weeks. At that time, Leerink analysts pointed out that 120-mg aleniglipron’s efficacy was similar to that demonstrated by Eli Lilly’s near-market oral GLP-1 med orforglipron at its highest 36-mg dose. Structure’s candidate showed potential for even greater efficacy at higher doses, although tolerability appeared to worsen. Based on the data, the biotech is plotting a phase 3 trial.
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The promising midstage results fueled some M&A speculation late last year.
“We assume that [Structure] partners aleniglipron, but it is possible that there could be strategic interest in acquiring the company which drives stock upside beyond our price target,” Leerink analysts said in a Dec. 11 note.
Now, with the patent licensing deal, it appears Roche isn’t interested in a takeout of Structure.
