Roche adds Hanmi’s obesity asset via licensing agreement: Deals Report

A deal with Hanmi will add to Roche’s obesity pipeline an asset that the pharma believes could be first in class, complementing at least four other clinical programs.

Hanmi Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. (KOSDAQ:128940) said Monday that the Genentech Inc. unit of Roche (SIX:ROP; OTCQX:RHHBY) is paying $190 million up front for rights to Ucn2 analog HM17321, which has begun a Phase I trial in healthy volunteers and patients with obesity. Milestones could drive the deal’s value to $2.3 billion; Hanmi is also eligible for royalties outside of South Korea, where it retains the program’s rights...