Monte Rosa pockets $50m milestone as Novartis starts MRT-6160 Phase 2
Monte Rosa Therapeutics has triggered a $50 million milestone payment from Novartis after its partner dosed the first patient in a Phase 2 study of MRT-6160 (DDY391), a VAV1-directed molecular glue degrader (MGD), in people living with Sjögren's disease. The Boston-based biotech made the announcement on 8 September 2026, marking the first Phase 2 study initiated under a global exclusive development and commercialisation licence the two companies signed previously.
MRT-6160 is an orally bioavailable small-molecule degrader that targets VAV1, a signalling protein active downstream of both the T-cell and B-cell receptors. In a completed Phase 1 programme, the compound produced sustained, dose-dependent VAV1 degradation of more than 90% in peripheral blood T cells following single and multiple doses, alongside suppression of key inflammatory biomarkers. No serious adverse events were reported. Those Phase 1 data gave Novartis sufficient confidence to advance to a Phase 2a/b randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicentre trial running up to 52 weeks, with results intended to inform dose selection ahead of a potential Phase 3.
Why Sjögren's disease
Sjögren's disease is estimated to affect roughly 0.25% of the global population, making it the second most prevalent rheumatic autoimmune disease, yet an estimated half of those affected remain undiagnosed owing to its heterogeneous presentation. The condition drives chronic dryness, fatigue, pain, and a materially elevated risk of lymphoma, creating a significant treatment gap and quality-of-life burden. Monte Rosa's chief executive, Markus Warmuth, said the indication is "well-aligned with the biological effects of a VAV1-directed MGD" because disease pathology is driven by both pathogenic T cells and B cells, both of which depend on VAV1 signalling.
Novartis is responsible for conducting and funding Phase 2 development in full. Monte Rosa will co-fund any Phase 3 programme and retains a 30% share of US profits and losses from commercialisation, as well as tiered royalties on ex-US net sales. The company is eligible to receive up to $2.1 billion in aggregate development, regulatory, and sales milestones under the licence, with additional Phase 2 study initiation payments possible as Novartis advances MRT-6160 across further immune-mediated indications.
Market context and competitive landscape
The molecular glue degrader field has attracted significant interest from large pharma precisely because established modalities such as PROTACs and monoclonal antibodies struggle to access certain intracellular targets. VAV1 has long been considered difficult to drug with conventional small molecules, and Monte Rosa's QuEEN platform, which combines AI-guided chemistry with structural biology and proteomics, is positioned by the company as giving it a selectivity advantage in designing MGDs against such targets. Novartis is not the only large pharmaceutical group investing in this space: several companies are pursuing targeted protein degradation strategies across autoimmune and oncology indications, though VAV1 as a primary target remains relatively sparsely contested in the public pipeline.
For Monte Rosa, the $50 million payment provides near-term financial support for its wholly owned pipeline, which includes programmes in oncology and other inflammatory indications. The ClinicalTrials.gov identifier for the Sjögren's study is NCT07737743. Investors will be watching for interim efficacy signals from the Phase 2a stage and any announcement of additional Phase 2 study initiations in diseases such as lupus or inflammatory bowel conditions, each of which would carry its own milestone payment under the Novartis agreement.