Roche stakes $2bn on UCB Alzheimer’s disease treatment
Swiss company Roche has partnered with Belgium-based biopharmaceutical company UCB to develop an antibody treatment for people living with Alzheimer’s disease.
Under the collaboration, UCB will provide Roche and its subsidiary Genentech with an exclusive, world-wide licence to UCB0107, an investigational monoclonal antibody drug.
Roche will pay $120 million upfront, but UCB is eligible to receive $2 billion if it obtains certain regulatory approvals and satisfies certain milestones.
Charl van Zyl, executive vice president of UCB and head of neurology, said: “We are excited that Roche and Genentech, with their deep and wide-ranging expertise, capacity and know-how in Alzheimer’s disease, will collaborate with UCB on UCB0107 with a shared ambition to offer people living with Alzheimer’s disease a new treatment option.”
More than 40 million people worldwide are living with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.
As part of the agreement, UCB will fund and perform an initial proof-of-concept study in Alzheimer’s disease. Upon completion, Genentech has the right to proceed with clinical development or return full rights back to UCB.
James Sabry, global head of Roche Pharma Partnering, added: “Our commitment remains strong on exploring multiple approaches with the hope that our research and development, including this collaboration with UCB, will lead to a disease-modifying medicine that could positively impact millions of people with Alzheimer’s disease.”
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