{
  "id": 3001379,
  "title": "Roche bets up to $2.3B on Hanmi’s early-stage muscle-building obesity asset",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/24/roche-bets-up-to-2-3b-on-hanmis-early-stage-muscle-building-obesity",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-08-24T10:56:51.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Endpoints News",
    "slug": "endpoints-news",
    "url": "https://endpoints.news/roche-bets-up-to-2-3b-on-hanmis-early-stage-muscle-building-obesity-asset/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": null,
  "summary": "Roche, through its subsidiary Genentech, has signed a licensing agreement with South Korea's Hanmi Pharm for an obesity drug candidate called HM17321. The deal is worth up to $2.3 billion, with Hanmi Pharm receiving $190 million upfront.\n\nThe drug, a long-acting uro-cortin-2 (UCN2) analog, is designed to reduce body fat while preserving and increasing muscle mass. According to Hanmi Pharm, it operates through a non-incretin mechanism of action and has shown promise in preclinical studies, reducing weight when used as a monotherapy and when combined with GLP-1-based therapies.\n\nGenentech will have exclusive rights to research, develop, manufacture, and commercialize HM17321 worldwide, except in Korea, where Hanmi Pharm will retain the rights. The deal includes development, regulatory, and commercial milestone payments, along with tiered royalties on future product sales.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 5,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Investing.com",
        "title": "Hanmi Pharm shares jump 30% on Genentech obesity drug deal",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/24/hanmi-pharm-shares-jump-30-on-genentech-obesity-drug-deal",
        "published": "2026-08-24T05:16:46.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Yonhap News",
        "title": "Hanmi Pharm signs 3.2 tln-won licensing deal with Roche's Genentech for obesity drug candidate",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/24/hanmi-pharm-signs-3-2-tln-won-licensing-deal-with-roches-genentech",
        "published": "2026-08-24T06:00:25.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Korea Times",
        "title": "Hanmi Pharm signs $2.3 bil. licensing deal with Roche's Genentech for obesity drug candidate",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/24/hanmi-pharm-signs-2-3-bil-licensing-deal-with-roches-genentech-for",
        "published": "2026-08-24T06:27:02.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "BusinessKorea",
        "title": "Hanmi Licenses Obesity Drug To Genentech",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/24/hanmi-licenses-obesity-drug-to-genentech",
        "published": "2026-08-24T07:08:16.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}