Roche & Zealand Pharma Partner to Co-Develop Petrelintide as a Breakthrough Obesity Therapy

Basel, 12 March 2025 – Roche has entered into an exclusive collaboration and licensing agreement with Zealand Pharma (a Danish biotechnology research company) to co-develop and co-commercialise Zealand Pharma’s amylin analog, petrelintide. The partnership covers both standalone use and a fixed-dose combination with Roche’s lead incretin asset, CT-388.

Under the agreement, Roche and Zealand Pharma will jointly commercialise petrelintide in the U.S. and Europe, while Roche will have exclusive marketing rights in the rest of the world. Roche will also oversee commercial manufacturing and supply.

As part of the agreement, Zealand Pharma will receive an upfront payment of $1.65 billion, including $1.4 billion upon closing and $250 million over the following two years. Additionally, Zealand Pharma is eligible for up to $1.2 billion in development milestones, primarily tied to the initiation of Phase 3 trials for petrelintide monotherapy, and up to $2.4 billion in sales-based milestones—bringing the total potential value of the deal to $5.3 billion.

The transaction is subject to regulatory approvals and standard closing conditions, with completion expected in Q2 2025.

Teresa Graham, CEO Roche Pharmaceuticals stated in the company’s press release: “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. We share the vision to develop petrelintide as a future foundational therapy. By combining petrelintide with our Pharmaceuticals portfolio and with our Diagnostics expertise in cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, we are aiming to transform the standard of care and positively impact patients’ lives.”

Petrelintide, a long-acting amylin analog currently in Phase 2 clinical trials, is designed for once-weekly subcutaneous administration. Early clinical data suggests it could set a new standard as a best-in-class amylin monotherapy, offering improved tolerability over existing weight management treatments and the potential to address additional indications.

Pairing petrelintide with Roche’s dual GLP-1/GIP receptor agonist, CT-388, will strengthen Roche’s portfolio in cardiovascular, renal, and metabolic (CVRM) diseases. This combination has the potential to achieve best-in-disease efficacy while also improving tolerability, thus  paving the way for innovative pharmaceutical solutions.