Roche signs drug-discovery deal with Atavistik Bio worth up to $2 billion

Roche Holding AG

24/09/2026 12:59

Sept 24 (Reuters) - Drug developer Atavistik Bio said on Thursday it has signed a deal with Swiss drugmaker Roche ROPC.S potentially worth nearly $2 billion, including milestone payments, to develop oral treatments for cardiovascular, kidney and metabolic diseases.

Here are some details: 
As part of the agreement, Atavistik will receive $70 million upfront and could get up to $1.9 billion in research, development and commercial milestone payments, plus royalties on sales of approved drugs, the privately held drug developer said.
The partnership covers multiple drug targets and will use Atavistik's proprietary technology to find hidden pockets on disease-causing proteins, potentially allowing drugs to be developed against targets conventional methods have struggled to reach.
Unlike many traditional drugs that bind to a protein's main active site, Atavistik's approach targets other sites that regulate how the protein works, which could allow for more selective treatments with fewer unintended effects.
Atavistik will lead early discovery and research, while Roche will handle further lab and human testing, regulatory filings and commercialization, Atavistik said. 
Atavistik will continue developing its own treatments for rare blood disorders, including for hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia, which causes malformed blood vessels.
The companies did not disclose the number of targets covered by the partnership or provide development timelines.

 (Reporting by Kunal Das in Bengaluru; Editing by Pooja Desai)
 ((Kunal.Das2@thomsonreuters.com;))