Roche has committed $100 million in upfront and near-term payments to license Rona Therapeutics’ ALK7 drug candidate, joining Alnylam, Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals, GSK and Novo in an emerging obesity niche.
Years of research has shown ALK7, a protein encoded by the ACVR1C gene, is preferentially expressed in adipose tissue and involved in lipid metabolism. Human genetic studies have linked ALK7 variants to reduced waist-to-hip ratios—a measure of abdominal obesity—and inactivating ALK7 signaling makes mice resistant to obesity. This research has underpinned a wave of drug development programs.
Roche joined the wave on Tuesday. The Swiss drugmaker has secured an exclusive license to Rona's RNAi drug candidate targeting ALK7 in exchange for up to $100 million in upfront and near-term milestone payments. The deal also features up to $1.06 billion in longer-term milestones, plus tiered royalties.
Neither the codename of the licensed program nor its stage of development was disclosed in the press release, although we do know the candidate uses Rona’s extrahepatic delivery platform.
Rona’s public pipeline includes two preclinical obesity programs against undisclosed targets. None of the Chinese biotech’s assets with known targets engage ALK7.
The licensed program reflects the need for “mechanisms that can improve the quality and durability of weight loss,” Rona CEO Stella Shi said in a statement. ALK7 is “a compelling obesity and metabolic disease target with the potential to directly address adipose tissue biology,” the CEO added.
In theory, targeting ALK7 could reduce fat deposits while preserving lean mass. Molecules targeting the pathway could act as monotherapies or in combination with incretin mimetics, such as GLP-1 receptor agonists.
Arrowhead provided early evidence that the mechanism works in humans in January, reporting a 14.1% placebo-adjusted reduction in visceral fat eight weeks after patients received one dose of its candidate. Around the same time, Alnylam included phase 1 data on an ALK7 candidate on its readout roadmap for the second half of 2026, after beginning a clinical trial of the candidate in March.
Meanwhile, GSK paid China’s SiranBio $55 million for a phase 1 drug candidate aimed at ALK7 in May. Novo disclosed its interest in the target at its investor day last month, when Chief Scientific Officer Martin Holst Lange, M.D., Ph.D., revealed that the Danish pharma has “a number of assets” against ALK7. The company’s most advanced ALK7 candidate will enter the clinic this year, Lange said.
Roche has joined the race as it pursues its goal of becoming a “top three” obesity company. Dealmaking has been central to the strategy, with Roche entering the field through the $2.7 billion buyout of Carmot Therapeutics and growing its pipeline via deals with Hanmi Pharm and Zealand Pharma. Results have been mixed, with the Swiss drugmaker axing one asset, while trying to quell doubts about enicepatide and petrelintide.
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