SHERIDAN, WYOMING – July 25, 2025 – Roche has officially discontinued development of CT-173, an investigational PYY analog once positioned as a novel obesity treatment, citing a lack of competitiveness and development potential in its latest strategic assessment.
The decision, announced during the company’s second-quarter earnings call, marks a clear pivot in Roche’s prioritization within its obesity drug pipeline, following its high-profile acquisition of Carmot Therapeutics for $2.7 billion in December 2023. The move reflects Roche’s sharpened focus on only the most promising assets as the obesity drug market becomes increasingly competitive.
Early-stage candidate fails to meet internal thresholds
CT-173, a mimetic of the gut hormone PYY designed to support insulin secretion and appetite regulation, was originally expected to enter Phase I clinical studies this year. Despite early preclinical promise—particularly in combination with CT-388, another Carmot-derived asset—CT-173 ultimately fell short in Roche’s internal assessments.
“When we bounced it up against our bar assessment, the criteria for developability and competitiveness just weren’t there,” said Teresa Graham, CEO of Roche’s Pharmaceuticals Division, during the earnings presentation.
Data presented in 2024 had suggested that CT-173, in tandem with CT-388, could overcome weight loss plateaus and reduce rebound weight gain in mouse models. Yet the company determined that its strategic value did not justify continued investment.
Minimal impact on broader obesity strategy
Despite shelving CT-173, Roche emphasized that its broader obesity strategy remains strong and unaffected by the change. “This was a very early-stage program,” Graham explained, adding that the decision “has very little impact on the overall obesity portfolio.”
Graham reinforced the strength of Roche’s pipeline, highlighting its ability to adapt to evolving market segments: “We have a portfolio that’s uniquely designed to take advantage of that further segmentation. Whether that’s into comorbidities, whether that’s into the amount of weight loss . . .”
The linchpin of that portfolio is CT-388, a dual GLP-1/GIP receptor agonist that continues to generate encouraging data. Phase Ib results published in May 2024 demonstrated that once-weekly injections of CT-388 led to 18.8% weight reduction versus placebo. Phase III-enabling data are expected before year-end.
Strong quarterly performance underscores pipeline confidence
Roche’s second-quarter financials underscore its continued market strength and ability to invest selectively in high-impact innovations. The company reported earnings of 15.504 billion Swiss Francs (approximately $19.6 billion), an 8% increase year-on-year.
Top-performing products included:
- Ocrevus (multiple sclerosis): ~$2.18 billion in Q2 sales, up 10%
- Hemlibra (hemophilia A): nearly $1.6 billion
- Vabysmo (eye injection): approximately $1.32 billion
These results provide a solid foundation for Roche’s strategic prioritization and selective pipeline optimization, particularly in the fast-evolving obesity therapeutics landscape.
Looking ahead
Roche’s disciplined approach to pipeline management reflects growing industry pressures to deliver differentiated outcomes in the metabolic disease market. With global interest in anti-obesity therapies accelerating, Roche is positioning itself to compete at the highest level—focusing on assets with the strongest development potential and the greatest promise for clinical and commercial impact.
Learn more at www.roche.com