Roche Will Acquire Two Technology Firms

Roche has agreed to shell out more than $300 million for two companies that will broaden its technology platform. The $125 million purchase of Madison, Wis.-based Mirus Bio adds RNAi delivery technology, which will help advance Roche's efforts to develop gene-silencing therapeutics. Last year, Roche forged a deal to license Alnylam's technology for developing RNAi-based drugs. In a separate move, Roche agreed to pay $190 million for Arius Research, a Canadian firm with technology to quickly identify antibodies on the basis of their ability to modulate disease. The Swiss drug firm says the Arius platform will help determine cancer and immunology drug candidates.