Atavistik Bio signed a Roche deal to develop oral drugs for cardiovascular, kidney and metabolic diseases. It will receive $70 million upfront and could earn up to $1.9 billion in research, development and commercial milestones, plus royalties on sales of approved drugs.
Atavistik says its proprietary technology seeks hidden pockets on disease-causing proteins, including sites conventional methods have struggled to reach; targeting these sites could enable more selective drugs with fewer unintended effects. Atavistik will lead early discovery and research, while Roche handles later lab and human testing, regulatory filings and commercialization. The companies did not disclose the number of targets or development timelines.
Atavistik said it will continue developing its own treatments for rare blood disorders, including hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia, which causes malformed blood vessels.
