Roche partners with China's Defand Therapeutics to discover molecular glue medicines
Roche announced a collaboration with Chinese biotech Defand Therapeutics aimed at discovering new molecular glue medicines for oncology and immune‑mediated diseases.
Unlike typical licensing deals, the partnership tasks Defand with early‑stage discovery and development, while Roche provides support and potential funding. Financial terms were not disclosed, though sources estimate the total value could approach $1 billion based on upfront fees and milestone payments.
Molecular glue therapeutics are an emerging class that promotes targeted protein degradation by stabilizing protein‑protein interactions, and the deal reflects Roche’s strategy to expand its pipeline through innovative modalities and partnerships in China.
This writeup was produced by pharmadog from original reporting by STAT.
Original headline: “STAT+: Roche inks drug discovery deal with Chinese biotech, focused on molecular glue medicines”
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