Roche is partnering with biotechnology startup Dualitas Therapeutics in a $1 billion research deal to discover next-generation bispecific antibodies for immune diseases. Roche will pay $36.5 million up front, while Dualitas will screen over 300,000 antibody combinations using its unique proximity engager technology. This alliance expands Roche's immunology pipeline, building on its existing bispecific portfolio and a 2025 Genentech partnership with Repertoire Immune Medicines.
Roche-Dualitas bispecific antibody partnership
- ▪Roche is paying Dualitas Therapeutics $36.5 million up front as part of their September 17, 2026 partnership agreement
- ▪Roche is partnering with biotechnology startup Dualitas Therapeutics in a research deal worth up to $1 billion to find new bispecific antibody treatments for immune diseases
Dualitas high-throughput screening technology
- ▪Dualitas Therapeutics' co-founder Forbes Huang stated that the company's screening technology can compare large quantities of potential drug combinations against approved medications and monoclonal antibodies
- ▪Dualitas Therapeutics' discovery engine is designed to detect novel antibody combinations that exhibit differentiated activity compared to existing benchmarks
Proximity engager bispecific mechanism
- ▪The proximity engager mechanism used by Dualitas Therapeutics aims to create synergistic effects on a single cell, differing from traditional double-barreled antibodies that target two different cells
- ▪Dualitas Therapeutics' bispecific antibodies utilize a specialized antibody arm called a proximity engager to force two proteins on the same cell close together
Dualitas internal pipeline programs
- ▪Besides its DTX-102 program for rheumatoid arthritis, Dualitas Therapeutics is developing two other internal programs with potential applications in allergy, asthma, skin conditions, and gastrointestinal disorders
- ▪Dualitas Therapeutics expects its lead program, DTX-102, to enter clinical trials in 2027
- ▪Dualitas Therapeutics launched in 2025 with $65 million in funding led by Qiming Venture Partners and Versant Ventures
- ▪Dualitas Therapeutics is advancing three of its own bispecific antibody programs, led by a candidate named DTX-102 being developed for rheumatoid arthritis
Roche bispecific antibody portfolio
- ▪Roche currently markets several bispecific therapies, including the hemophilia A drug Hemlibra and the eye medicine Vabysmo
- ▪Roche's commercial portfolio of dual-pronged antibodies also includes Lunsumio and Columvi, its cancer treatments
Roche immunology drug development
- ▪The partnership with Dualitas Therapeutics expands Roche's existing pipeline of experimental dual-pronged antibodies targeted at immune and inflammatory conditions
- ▪Roche's Genentech division partnered with Flagship Pioneering's Repertoire Immune Medicines in 2025 to discover new treatments for autoimmune conditions
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