Roivant Sciences is known for acquiring and developing drug candidates that have been deprioritized or overlooked by other pharmaceutical companies. However, rather than purchasing specific patents, Roivant's strategy often involves acquiring the rights to entire drug development programs or clinical-stage assets. Here are a few notable acquisitions and developments:
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Axovant Gene Therapies: Roivant acquired the rights to an experimental Alzheimer's drug called intepirdine from GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) for $5 million. This acquisition was one of the high-profile moves that garnered significant attention, although the drug ultimately failed in clinical trials.
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Myovant Sciences: Roivant created Myovant Sciences to focus on women's health and prostate cancer. Myovant acquired rights to relugolix, a drug for uterine fibroids, endometriosis, and advanced prostate cancer, from Takeda Pharmaceutical.
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Dermavant Sciences: Roivant formed Dermavant Sciences to focus on dermatology. One of its acquisitions includes tapinarof, a potential treatment for psoriasis and atopic dermatitis, from GlaxoSmithKline.
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Arbor Pharmaceuticals: Roivant acquired a controlling stake in Arbor Pharmaceuticals, a specialty pharmaceutical company with a portfolio of products in cardiovascular, hospital, and pediatric markets.
These acquisitions highlight Roivant Sciences' strategy of identifying promising drug candidates and advancing them through clinical development and commercialization. The company has not been focused on purchasing individual patents but rather on acquiring comprehensive rights to drug development programs that have significant potential.
