Switzerland-headquartered pharmaceutical giant Roche (SWX: ROG) announced this week an agreement to purchase Telavant Holdings, a biotechnology firm co-owned by UK’s Roivant Sciences (NASDAQ: ROIV) and US-based Pfizer (NYSE: PFE). The acquisition will grant Roche rights to RVT-3101, a potential best-in-class and first-in-class anti-TL1A subcutaneous antibody, in the US and Japan markets.
RVT-3101: A Promising IBD Candidate
RVT-3101 is an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) candidate currently undergoing a Phase II study in Crohn’s disease. The drug has shown significant promise, with 50% and 36% improvements in endoscopic and clinical remission, respectively, in ulcerative colitis (UC) during a Phase IIb trial. Pfizer will retain commercialization rights for RVT-3101 in markets outside the US and Japan.
Deal Details and Future Collaboration
In exchange for Telavant, Roche will make an upfront payment of USD 7.1 billion, along with an additional USD 150 million in milestone payments. The transaction is expected to conclude in Q3 2023 or Q1 2024, pending customary closing conditions. Furthermore, Roche will gain an option to co-develop with Pfizer an early-stage bispecific antibody (BsAb) candidate targeting p40xTL1A, potentially expanding their collaborative research efforts.-Fineline Info & Tech
