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Roivant/Roche: Did Pfizer Miss Out?

Merck/Prometheus Deal Changed TL1A Market Dynamics

 
• By Jessica Merrill

Pfizer gave US rights to an asset to Roivant, which turned around and sold it to Roche for $7.1bn 10 months later. Pfizer says it’s content with the 25% stake it will receive. Roivant CEO Matt Gline also talked to Scrip about the sudden turnaround. 

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Pfizer's deal with Roivant raises questions • Source: Shutterstock

The original deal between Pfizer Inc. and Roivant Sciences Ltd. for the tumor necrosis factor-like ligand 1A (TL1A) inhibitor RVT-3101 was perplexing when it happened in December 2022, because Pfizer gave away US rights for the potential blockbuster asset to Roivant for no upfront fee, choosing instead to retain a 25% stake in the company Roivant built to develop the drug, Telavant Holdings, Inc. Now, just 10 months later, Roivant is selling Telavant to Roche Holding AG for $7.1bn.

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Asia Deal Watch: Dr. Reddy’s Gets Regional Rights To Pair Of Bio-Thera Biosimilars

 
• By Joseph Haas, Jung Won Shin, and Lisa Takagi

Plus deals involving GV20/Mitsubishi Tanabe, Kaken/Alumis, AstraZeneca/Alteogen and deal terminations involving Clover/Gavi Alliance and Rhythm/RareStone.

Novo Adds Lexicon’s Novel Obesity Drug To Deal Flurry

 
• By Andrew McConaghie

The obesity market leader has unveiled its second deal in days, paying $75m upfront for a potential first-in-class ACSL5 inhibitor, while the deal also provides some respite for Lexicon.

Deal Watch: Eyenovia Looks At New Direction In Proposed Merger With Betaliq

 
• By Joseph Haas

Plus deals involving Relmada/Trigone, Alvotech/Xbrane, OPKO Health/Entera, iOncologi/TargImmune and more.

Merck Doubles Down On Oral Lipid-Lowering Drugs With Hengrui’s Lp(a) Asset

 
• By Mandy Jackson

Merck & Co., which already has an oral PCSK9 inhibitor in Phase III, licensed Hengrui’s Lipoprotein(a)-lowering small molecule HRS-5346 outside of Greater China for $200m up front.

More from Business

Peter Marks’ Departure From FDA Rattles Biopharma Industry

 
• By Mandy Jackson

Stock prices plummeted, particularly for vaccine makers and cell and gene therapy developers, after the US FDA’s top biologics overseer resigned over vaccine misinformation concerns.

Vertex Ends One Type 1 Diabetes Cell Therapy, Shifts Focus To Another

 
• By Joseph Haas

Seeking cell therapy approaches to cure type 1 diabetes, Vertex abandons a candidate encapsulated to avoid immune system detection but hopes to file another candidate for approval in 2026.

Isomorphic Adds To Growing AI War Chest With First External Funding Round

 
• By Alaric DeArment

The four-year-old firm said it plans to advance programs toward the clinic from the funding round, which comes just over a year after signing two major pharma partnerships.