Roche's Genentech to acquire inflammatory drug discovery firm Jecure

Roche’s subsidiary Genentech has finalised a definitive agreement to acquire Jecure, a US-based biotech which focuses on the discovery of drugs to treat serious inflammatory conditions, in a bid to square up to rivals in the treatment of fatty liver disease.

As part of the deal, Genetech will gain access to the entirety of Jecure’s preclinical portfolio of NLRP3 inhibitors, known by their full name as nucleotide-binding oligomerisation (NOD)-like receptor family Pyrin domain containing protein 3 inhibitors.

It is thought that Roche has made the move to develop therapies for conditions such as non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), inflammatory bowel disease and liver fibrosis, and muscle in on a share of the market with Pfizer, Novartis and Gilead.

"Genentech has an extensive history of translating pioneering science into transformative medicines. The acquisition of Jecure provides a unique opportunity to bring novel NLRP3 inhibitors to patients," commented Dr Jeffrey A Stafford, President and CEO of Jecure.

Dr James Sabry, Roche’s Global Head of Pharma Partnering, also added: "We’ve had a long-standing interest in targeting inflammatory pathways that may play a role in a number of serious diseases. We’re excited to combine Jecure’s portfolio with our discovery and development capabilities, as well as our expertise in NLRP3 biology, to potentially help people with inflammatory diseases."

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