IP Group plc (LSE: IPO), an investor in breakthrough science and innovation companies, on Monday outlined potential future royalty income linked to obesity drug candidates developed by Metsera Inc, following Pfizer Inc' s agreement to acquire Metsera in a deal valued at up to USD7.3bn, including USD4.9bn in upfront cash.

Metsera's portfolio includes multiple next-generation obesity treatments, four of which are in clinical development. The lead candidate, MET-097i, a once-monthly injectable GLP-1 therapy, delivered positive Phase 2b results and is expected to enter a global Phase 3 trial in late 2025.

IP Group holds financial rights to several of Metsera's obesity drug programmes - MET-097i, MET-233, MET-034 and MET-067 - through its former portfolio company Zihipp, acquired by Metsera in 2023. The Group is entitled to milestone payments and tiered low single-digit royalties on future net sales of these compounds. Fifty percent of any income received will be shared with Imperial College London under existing revenue-sharing agreements.

The Zihipp research underpinning MET-097i originated from the work of Professor Steve Bloom at Imperial College London, whose pioneering discovery of GLP-1's role in appetite control laid the foundation for modern obesity treatments. IP Group, Imperial's commercialisation partner, helped spin out Zihipp to develop these innovations.

Any potential royalties remain contingent on regulatory approval and commercial success of the licensed products. IP Group said the development underscores its model of accelerating science-led innovation in partnership with leading universities.

IP Group plc (LSE: IPO) ("IP Group" or "the Group"), which invests in