Roche to acquire Hanmi's lean-mass preserving obesity shot in $2.3 bn deal

Roche announced a partnership with South Korean company Hanmi Pharm to obtain rights to a novel obesity drug outside South Korea.

Under the agreement, Roche will pay $190 million upfront and could pay up to $2.3 billion in milestones and royalties as the program advances.

The drug, identified as HM17321, is a urocortin 2 analog that aims to promote weight loss while preserving lean muscle, addressing concerns with existing GLP-1 therapies.

Hanmi will finish a Phase 1 dosing study before Roche takes over development, and the deal puts Roche in competition with Denmark's Gubra, which is also testing a urocortin 2 candidate.