Roche has agreed to purchase 89bio in a deal valued up to $3.5 billion, acquiring the biotech's late-stage drug candidate pegozafermin for metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH). The acquisition at a 79% premium aims to strengthen Roche's presence in the cardiometabolic disease sector. Pegozafermin, an FGF21 analog designed to reduce liver fat and fibrosis, is in phase 3 clinical trials. This move follows recent FDA approvals and regulatory openness toward MASH therapies, highlighting the competitive landscape to address this common liver condition linked to obesity.