Roche subsidiary Genentech has entered an exclusive collaboration with UK-based OMass Therapeutics to develop oral small molecules for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), paying USD 20 million upfront with potential milestones exceeding USD 400 million. The agreement covers OMass' pre-clinical candidates targeting membrane protein ecosystems, with OMass leading early development through candidate selection before Genentech assumes clinical development and global commercialisation. The partnership expands Roche's IBD portfolio following its USD 7.1 billion acquisition of Telavant and TL1A antibody afimkibart in 2023.

OMass CEO Ros Deegan highlighted the differentiated first-in-class mechanism discovered through its OdyssION platform, while Roche's Boris L. Zaïtra emphasised unmet needs for nearly 8 million IBD patients globally. The collaboration represents Roche's continued investment in immunology innovation beyond biologic therapies, potentially offering oral alternatives to current injectable treatments for Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC).

PharmCube's NextBiopharm® database shows that Roche has 23 active IBD projects, mostly in partnership with other companies. Click here to request a free trial for NextBiopharm®.