Roche has entered into an exclusive collaboration and licensing agreement with Zealand Pharma under which the two companies will collaborate to co-develop and co-commercialize petrelintide, Zealand Pharma’s amylin analog as a standalone therapy as well as a fixed-dose combination with Roche’s lead incretin asset CT-388.

Petrelintide, currently in phase 2 clinical development, is a long-acting amylin analog suitable for once-weekly subcutaneous administration. The available clinical data suggests its potential to become a best-in-class amylin monotherapy, with improved tolerability compared to current weight management treatments and to expand into adjacent indications.

The combination of petrelintide with Roche’s dual GLP-1/GIP receptor agonist CT-388 will further strengthen and expand Roche’s pipeline in the field of cardiovascular, renal, and metabolic (CVRM) diseases. This combination offers the opportunity for best-in-disease efficacy while potentially offering enhanced tolerability.

Teresa Graham, CEO Roche Pharmaceuticals, said: “We are excited to collaborate with Zealand Pharma and develop this promising therapy, which we hope will provide people living with obesity and related comorbidities a new treatment option.”

Adam Steensberg, President and CEO of Zealand Pharma, said: “We are thrilled to announce this transformational partnership, aiming to maximise the full value of petrelintide to the benefit of people living with overweight and obesity.”

“We strongly believe that petrelintide holds potential as a foundational therapy for weight management, addressing unmet medical needs among the majority of people living with overweight and obesity, both as stand-alone therapy and in combination with other agents,” Steensberg added.

This collaboration agreement covers the co-development and co-commercialisation of petrelintide to unlock the full value of the asset. As a part of this agreement, Zealand Pharma and Roche will co-commercialize petrelintide in the U.S. and Europe, whereas Roche will obtain exclusive rights to commercialization in the rest of the world. Roche will be responsible for commercial manufacturing and supply.

The closing of the transaction is subject to regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions. The parties expect that the transaction will close in Q2 2025.