A shot that silences one gene in fat tissue just won a global partner

Stella Shi founded Rona Therapeutics to treat obesity at its roots rather than only curbing appetite. Its experimental therapy uses RNA interference — a way of switching off a single gene — aimed at ALK7, a gene active in fat tissue and linked to storing visceral fat, the kind that wraps around organs. Roche has now taken a worldwide licence to develop it, betting that reducing that fat while preserving muscle could complement today's weight-loss medicines. The candidate is still investigational, but a global partner gives it a far larger path to patients.