October 23, 2023- Roche announced the entry into a definitive agreement to acquire Telavant Holdings, Inc. (Telavant), a Roivant company, owned by Roivant Sciences Ltd. and Pfizer Inc. The agreement includes the development, manufacturing and commercialization rights in the US and Japan for Telavant’s RVT-3101, a novel TL1A directed antibody.
RVT-3101 is a promising new therapy in development for people suffering from inflammatory bowel disease, including ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease. Inflammatory bowel disease is a group of chronic gastrointestinal disorders with almost 8 million people diagnosed worldwide and 80% of all individuals not experiencing lasting remission. Given the antibody’s novel mode of action targeting both inflammation and fibrosis, it has potential to be applied in multiple other diseases.
Under the terms of the agreement, Roche will pay a purchase price of US$ 7.1 billion upfront and a near-term milestone payment of US$ 150 million. Upon closing of the transaction, Roche will have full rights to further develop and manufacture RVT-3101 and commercialise it in the US and in Japan pending clinical and regulatory success. Roche is committed to starting a global Phase 3 trial for RVT-3101 as soon as possible to bring this promising therapy to the patients suffering from inflammatory bowel disease.