Novartis expands $5.7B bet on Monte Rosa’s protein-degrading drugs

Novartis signed a second licensing deal with Monte Rosa Therapeutics, offering $120M upfront and potentially up to $5.7B, centered around Monte Rosa’s molecular glue degrader technology, QuEEN.

Why it matters: This move reinforces Novartis’ bet on targeted protein degradation to treat immune-mediated diseases, an area with high unmet need, while validating Monte Rosa’s QuEEN platform and fueling development of key drug candidates for previously “undruggable” conditions.

Backstory: The new deal follows a 2024 agreement where Novartis paid $150M for rights to MRT-6160, a molecular glue degrader targeting VAV1. That therapy showed promising phase 1 data and is moving into phase 2 trials for castration-resistant prostate cancer.

Zoom in: With this new deal, Novartis gains exclusive rights to one undisclosed discovery target and options for two more from Monte Rosa’s preclinical immunology portfolio.

Big picture: The move reflects Big Pharma’s growing interest in targeted protein degradation as a next-gen therapeutic approach, not just for cancer but for inflammatory and immune diseases. Monte Rosa’s tech is also attracting interest from Roche, which signed a $50M deal (up to $2B) in 2023.