Roche's Genentech signs up to $2.3B deal with Hanmi for weight-loss drug that preserves lean mass

Roche, through its Genentech subsidiary, has entered a licensing agreement with South Korea's Hanmi Pharm that could be worth up to $2.3 billion, including a $190 million upfront payment.

The deal gives Roche access to HM17321, an investigational non-incretin peptide that mimics urocortin-2 and binds the CRF2 receptor, a mechanism Hanmi says can reduce fat mass while increasing lean mass.

Pre-clinical studies in animal models showed notable weight and fat loss with HM17321, and the approach may differentiate it from existing GLP-1 weight-loss drugs that often lower lean body mass.