Roche and Cardion announced that Roche will acquire Cardion's human Interleukin IL-15 Cytokine Receptor Blocker (CRB-15). CRB-15 is currently at pre-clinical stage as a treatment for Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) and Transplantation. Under the terms of the agreement, Roche will be responsible for development and worldwide commercialization of CRB-15 and will receive Cardion's intellectual property rights to CRB-15.

"Roche is a leader in transplantation and through this acquisition, Roche will be able to build on its existing transplantation portfolio as well as on its exciting pipeline of drugs in development to treat RA. These substances represent innovative therapies to treat these diseases and will consolidate Roche's position in these key medical areas," stated William M. Burns, Head of Roche's Pharmaceuticals Division.

"Roche is a perfect fit for CRB-15 and its successful future development. We are enthusiastic about this deal and convinced that the huge potential of CRB-15 in RA and in Transplantation, as well as in other potential disease indications, will be optimally realized by Roche," says Dr. Manfred Rudiger, Chief Scientific Officer of Cardion.