Roche: Termination of 7 Clinical Projects and Abandonment of TIGIT

On July 24, Roche released its 2025 H1 results and updated the progress of its R&D pipeline. In 2025 H1, Roche cut seven clinical projects, including four Phase I clinical trials and three Phase III clinical trials.

Notably, the two remaining Phase III trials of the TIGIT monoclonal antibody RG6058 (tiragolumab) were both terminated. They were:

1. Combination with Tecentriq for first-line treatment of unresectable Stage III non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), which failed to meet the primary progression-free survival (PFS) endpoint in July this year;
2. Combination with Tecentriq and Avastin for first-line treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma, which failed to meet the primary PFS endpoint in Q2 this year.

Roche’s 2024 Q4 report revealed large-scale cuts to RG6058’s pipeline, including 2 Phase III, 2 Phase II, and 1 Phase I trials. The Phase III study combining RG6058 with Tecentriq for locally advanced esophageal cancer was terminated in Q1 2025. Now, with the last two Phase III trials terminated, Roche’s TIGIT antibody development path has clearly come to an end.

In addition, Roche also terminated:

• The Phase I clinical trial (NCT04303858) of the PD-1-IL-2v antibody fusion protein RG6279 (eciskafusp alfa) combined with Tecentriq for solid tumors.

• The Phase I solid tumor trial of the WRN inhibitor RG6457 (RO7589831), co-developed with Bayer’s Vividion Therapeutics. This drug has been returned to Vividion’s pipeline and continues Phase I trials.

• The Phase I trial (NCT05240898) evaluating USP1 inhibitor RG6614 (KSQ-4279) as monotherapy and combination therapy for advanced solid tumor patients, developed in collaboration with KSQ Therapeutics.

• The Phase I trial of RG7921 for retinal vein occlusion (RVO). RG7921, an ophthalmology candidate that advanced to Phase I, was initially developed for wet age-related macular degeneration (wAMD), but that indication was terminated in 2023. Roche then shifted the main indication to RVO and continued Phase I trials in Switzerland. According to the July 2025 update, Roche has now completely terminated RG7921 development and removed it from the pipeline.
• The Phase I trial of RG7601 combined with azacitidine for myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). RG7601 (Venetoclax) is Roche’s first highly selective small molecule Bcl-2 inhibitor, developed with AbbVie. On June 16, 2025, AbbVie announced that the Phase III VERONA trial of Venclexta plus azacitidine as first-line treatment for high-risk MDS (HR-MDS) failed to meet the overall survival (OS) primary endpoint, with HR=0.908 and p=0.3772.

Roche also terminated development of obesity asset CT-173 acquired for $2.7 billion from Carmot Therapeutics. CT-173 is a long-acting PYY analog, with a Phase I trial initially planned for this year. 

According to the latest pipeline update, Roche now has 68 new molecular entities (NMEs) and a total of 115 projects, with a promising R&D pipeline.

Based on encouraging data, the company has advanced four therapies to the final stages of clinical development:

• NXT007 for hemophilia A,
• Trontinemab for Alzheimer’s disease,
• Prasinezumab for early Parkinson’s disease,
• And the novel antibiotic zosurabalpin, expected to be the first drug in over 50 years targeting bacteria resistant to most other therapies.

Roche’s total revenue for the first half of the year was 30.944 billion Swiss francs (approximately $38.982 billion, using an exchange rate of 1 CHF ≈ 1.2598 USD), a 7% year-on-year increase (calculated at constant exchange rates, CER). Net income was 9.319 billion Swiss francs ($11.744 billion), up 13% year-on-year.

R&D investment reached 6.074 billion Swiss francs (approximately $7.657 billion), accounting for about 19.6% of total revenue.

Pharmaceutical business revenue was 23.985 billion Swiss francs ($30.238 billion), up 10% year-on-year; diagnostics business revenue was 6.959 billion Swiss francs ($8.772 billion), flat compared to the same period last year. The pharmaceutical business remains Roche’s main profit driver.

Roche’s pharmaceutical business consists of five specialized pipelines targeting oncology, hematology, neurology, immunology, and ophthalmology. In 2025 H1:

• Oncology revenue was 7.827 billion Swiss francs ($9.855 billion, +2%)
• Hematology revenue was 4.32 billion Swiss francs ($5.439 billion, +19%)
• Neurology revenue was 4.872 billion Swiss francs ($6.134 billion, +10%)
• Immunology revenue was 3.321 billion Swiss francs ($4.181 billion, +14%)
• Ophthalmology revenue was 2.148 billion Swiss francs ($2.702 billion, +17%)