Roche widens cardiovascular portfolio

Roche has revealed it has struck an agreement with Borean Pharma, a Danish drug discovery company, to develop and commercialise Borean’s Trimeric Apo-1 drug.

Borean specialises in developing proteins for drug use. Its Trimeric Apo-1 drug is a trimerised version of Apolipoprotein A-1 (Apo-1), a component of high density lipoprotein – often termed as “good cholesterol” because cholesterol in this high-density form is beneficial to the cardiovascular system, unlike its low-density counterpart.

The company stated that Roche acquired the drug because levels of Apo-1 in the blood stream have been shown to reduce the risk of atherosclerosis, a disease in which arteries become plaque-laden or hardened.

Peter Hug, Roche’s head of pharma partnering, said: “This acquisition is an excellent strategic fit with our ongoing development of clinically differentiated proteins for areas where there is a high unmet medical need.”

“To expand our portfolio in disease areas such as metabolic and cardiovascular, Roche will continue to seek out novel and innovative compounds that will make a difference in patients lives,” he added.

The terms of the deal were not disclosed, although Roche will acquire all of the rights to Trimeric Apo-1 as a pre-clinical asset. Roche currently lists eight cardiovascular drugs, covering diseases such as anaemia, coagulation disorders, heart attacks and strokes and high blood pressure.

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