Roche's $3.1 Billion Acquisition of Carmot Positions It in the Obesity Drug Market

Swiss drugmaker Roche has agreed to acquire obesity drug developer Carmot Therapeutics for $2.7 billion upfront, joining the race to challenge weight-loss drug leaders Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly. Carmot's lead drug candidate, a once-a-week injection called CT-388, is a dual GLP-1/GIP receptor agonist. Roche aims to develop CT-388 as the best obesity drug in the GLP-1 class, either alone or in combination with other compounds. The weight-loss market is estimated to reach $100 billion, and Roche's move signals its ambition to become a major player in this field.