Biopharma dealmaking continues to center on precision mechanisms this week, as companies look to license differentiated platforms addressing underserved therapeutic targets in metabolic disease and targeted protein degradation.

Roche licenses Rona Therapeutics’ ALK7-targeting RNAi candidate

Rona Therapeutics granted Roche an exclusive worldwide license for it’s investigational RNAi candidate targeting activin receptor-like kinase 7, known as ALK7, built on the company’s proprietary extrahepatic delivery platform.

Under terms of the agreement, Rona is set to receive upfront and near-term milestone payments of up to $100 million and is eligible for up to $1.06 billion in additional development, regulatory and commercial milestone payments, along with tiered royalties on global net sales.¹

ALK7, encoded by the ACVR1C gene, is predominantly expressed in adipose tissue and is a genetically validated target for obesity and metabolic diseases. Inhibiting ALK7 by directly targeting adipocytes has the potential to selectively reduce visceral and other ectopic fat depots while preserving lean mass, an approach the companies describe as differentiated from and potentially complementary to incretin-based therapies.¹ ALK7 is a member of the transforming growth factor-beta receptor superfamily, and its signaling pathway regulates adipocyte lipid storage, lipolysis and energy homeostasis.

Human genetic studies have linked reduced ALK7 activity to favorable fat distribution and metabolic phenotypes, supporting the rationale for therapeutic silencing.¹ Unlike incretin-based therapies, which act primarily on appetite and energy intake through the central nervous system, ALK7 inhibition works directly on adipose tissue biology, a mechanism the companies say could be used alone or alongside established obesity treatments.¹

“Obesity is a complex chronic disease with significant unmet medical needs for new mechanisms that can improve the quality and durability of weight loss,” said Stella Shi, chief executive officer and founder of Rona Therapeutics. “ALK7 is a compelling obesity and metabolic disease target with the potential to directly address adipose tissue biology. Rona Therapeutics is committed to discover and develop novel RNAi therapies to benefit patients with obesity and metabolic diseases globally. This collaboration combines Rona’s pioneering extrahepatic RNAi R&D platform with Roche’s strong expertise and commitment in global development and commercialization of medicines for the treatment of obesity and metabolic diseases to bring this important therapeutic candidate to patients.”

Dr. Bo Liang, chief medical officer at CORXEL and former global clinical development lead for semaglutide at Novo Nordisk, told Pharmaceutical Executive that he expects the next wave of obesity treatments to focus on covering gaps that previous treamtns have left. “When we look at obesity and where the next generation of treatments should go, the fundamental question is: where are the unmet medical needs?”

Pfizer partners with Enodia Therapeutics to discover Sec61 inhibitors

Enodia Therapeutics entered into a research collaboration and license agreement with Pfizer Inc. to discover and develop Sec61 inhibitors. The deal brings Enodia an upfront payment and eligibility for future research, development and sales milestone payments, plus tiered royalties on net sales, with total potential deal value exceeding $500 million.²

Enodia’s platform enables selective Sec61 Translocon modulation, an approach designed to inhibit disease-driving proteins at the point of synthesis, before pathological effects occur, while preserving essential physiological functions.² The company has assembled a broad and well-characterized chemical space spanning multiple Sec61 inhibitor families, supported by extensive biological datasets, including proteomics, cryo-EM and tailored cell-line libraries, that enable rational small-molecule design powered by machine learning.

Under the agreement, Enodia will conduct discovery activities to screen, optimize and develop Sec61 inhibitor candidates against multiple collaboration targets; after the collaboration term concludes, Pfizer will assume responsibility for all clinical, manufacturing, regulatory and commercial activities.²

“Enodia has built a broad platform that enables selective Sec61 Translocon modulation, a novel approach to inhibit disease-driving proteins while preserving essential physiological functions,” said Yves Ribeill, chief executive officer of Enodia Therapeutics. “We look forward to collaborating with Pfizer, combining their deep expertise and clinical resources with our approach for precisely targeting pathological proteins to bring forth potential new medicines.”

Sources

1. Rona Therapeutics enters into global license agreement with Roche for ALK7-targeting RNAi therapy for obesity and metabolic diseases Rona Therapeutics October 13, 2026, https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/rona-therapeutics-enters-into-global-license-agreement-with-roche-for-alk7-targeting-rnai-therapy-for-obesity-and-metabolic-diseases-302905730.html
2. Enodia Therapeutics Announces Research Collaboration and License Agreement with Enodia Therapeutics October 13, 2026, https://www.enodiatx.com/enodia-therapeutics-announces-research-collaboration-and-license-agreement-with-pfizer-to-develop-sec61-targeting-small-molecules/