Roche has entered into a licensing agreement with Gasherbrum Bio, a subsidiary of Structure Therapeutics, to secure certain patents related to CT-996, its investigational oral weight loss drug. The deal was finalized on December 30, 2025, and disclosed in a Securities and Exchange Commission filing.
Under the terms of the agreement, Roche—through its subsidiary Genentech—has obtained a non-exclusive license allowing it to make, use, sell, offer for sale, and import products containing CT-996. In return, Roche will pay an upfront fee of $100 million and provide royalties in the low-single-digit range based on net sales.
Structure Therapeutics clarified that the licensed patents are specific to the CT-996 scaffold and do not affect any of its ongoing programs, including aleniglipron. The agreement also includes a covenant by Structure not to assert certain potential future patents against Genentech’s manufacture or sale of related products.
The details regarding which specific patents are involved have not been made public. However, Leerink Partners commented that “Roche approached [Structure] for the license after a full analysis of the IP landscape and a need for a license to avoid any potential infringement.”
BMO Capital Markets analysts described the agreement as “a mild positive” for Structure and stated: “highlights the strength of Structure’s IP protections but represents a muted read-through to the stock.” Following news of the deal, shares of Structure rose nearly 2% in after-hours trading.
Despite this development, BMO analysts noted that “is not the large Pharma partnership that some Structure owners have been anxiously awaiting.” Last month, Structure reported Phase IIb data for aleniglipron showing an 11.3% placebo-adjusted reduction in weight at 36 weeks. William Blair analysts previously remarked that these results are competitive with Eli Lilly’s obesity pill orforglipron and may attract further interest from major pharmaceutical companies.
BMO added that “Structure now appears an even more viable option for large Pharma to partner with and expand commercially in the future.” While Roche did not enter into such a broad partnership at this time, BMO noted that the current deal provides Structure with additional cash flow and potential future revenue.
Leerink Partners supported this perspective: “support[s] [Structure] management’s view that the company has the broadest and strongest global IP portfolio related to GLP-1 receptor agonist small molecules.”
Roche's latest patent arrangement aligns with its broader efforts in obesity drug development. In late 2023, Roche acquired Carmot Therapeutics in a $2.7 billion transaction that included CT-996 as well as another investigational therapy targeting both GLP-1 and GIP receptors (CT-388). Earlier last year, Roche committed $5.3 billion in collaboration with Zealand Pharma to co-develop petrelintide—an amylin analog aimed at treating obesity.
