Roche has announced that it will acquire the biotech Inflazome for $447 million as it expands its presence into drugs for the treatment of inflammatory diseases.

The acquisition gives Roche Inflazome’s portfolio of clinical and preclinical orally available NLRP3 inhibitors, which it plans to further develop for the treatment of a variety of conditions with high unmet medical need.

NLRP3 is a protein that has been linked to numerous inflammatory conditions, such as atherosclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease, inflammatory bowel disease and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis.

Inflazome will receive the $447 million upfront and is eligible to receive additional milestone payments.