VIA Pharmaceuticals licenses Roche drug candidates

SAN FRANCISCO Roche has entered into a licensing agreement with a biotech firm for two sets of drug compounds for treating cholesterol and metabolic disorders.

San Francisco-based VIA Pharmaceuticals announced Tuesday that it had licensed Roche's thyroid hormone receptor beta agonist, a drug candidate ready for clinical testing as a treatment for controlling cholesterol, triglyceride levels and possibly diabetes; and multiple compounds from Roche's diacylglycerol acyl transferase 1 metabolic disorders program. 

Under the agreements, VIA will assume control of all development and commercialization of the compounds and own exclusive worldwide rights for all potential indications. VIA will make milestone payments and pay royalties upon commercialization.

"We are pleased to significantly expand our pipeline of promising compounds with the in-licensing of these two compounds," VIA chief executive officer Lawrence Cohen said in a statement. "The THR beta agonist candidate and the DGAT1 program are natural fits for VIA and build on the company?s cardiovascular inflammation programs."