LONDON and NEW YORK, Dec. 30, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — Sumitovant Biopharma Ltd. was today unveiled as a new, global biopharmaceutical company through the closing of the transaction previously announced on October 31, 2019 between Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma Co., Ltd. (TSE: 4506), a leading Japanese pharmaceutical company, and Roivant Sciences, Inc., a technology-enabled healthcare company.
Sumitovant will operate as a wholly owned subsidiary of Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma and will be the parent company of the five biopharma companies for which Roivant transferred its ownership interest: Myovant Sciences Ltd., Urovant Sciences Ltd., Enzyvant Therapeutics Ltd., Altavant Sciences Ltd., and Spirovant Sciences Ltd. In addition, Sumitovant will provide strategic guidance and direct the operations of the proprietary technology platforms now owned by Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma that were developed by Roivant: DrugOme and Digital Innovation. Sumitovant, Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma, and Roivant will each have access to these platforms. Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma has also acquired an 11% stake in Roivant and options to acquire Roivant’s ownership interests in 6 additional biopharma companies. For its consideration Roivant has received USD $3 billion from Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma.
Myrtle Potter, former Vant Operating Chair at Roivant Sciences, has been appointed Chief Executive Officer of Sumitovant. As Vant Operating Chair Potter oversaw the development of thirty-five investigational drugs in eleven therapeutic areas and over fifty clinical trials, including four successful Phase 3 trials for the lead compounds at Myovant and Urovant. Potter brings a track record of leading teams that have delivered blockbuster drugs from early development to market. Under her leadership, Genentech achieved record sales and earnings growth for 19 of 20 consecutive quarters through the blockbuster commercialization of Herceptin®, Rituxan®, and Avastin® among others. Prior to Genentech she was President of Bristol-Myers Squibb’s U.S. Cardiovascular and Metabolic business where her business launched Plavix® (clopidogrel), created the multi-billion-dollar Glucophage® (metformin) platform that today remains a mainstay in diabetes treatment and achieved the multi-billion-dollar commercialization of Pravachol® (pravastatin). While at Merck she started the company Astra-Merck, Inc. which, through merger, became AstraZeneca. The first blockbuster launch Potter oversaw was Prilosec® which would ultimately become the first $5 billion drug in the world. Potter is a graduate of the University of Chicago and serves on the university’s board of trustees. She also serves on the boards of Liberty Mutual Insurance Group and Axsome Therapeutics. She has previously served on the boards of Amazon, Express Scripts, Medco Health Solutions and Rite Aid.
“At Sumitovant, our single aim is to make a difference in the lives of people globally by rapidly developing innovative medicines that are made even better by our technology-enabled approach to drug discovery, development and commercialization,” said Ms. Potter. “We value the strategic capabilities and know-how from Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma, with its rich legacy of blockbuster drugs like Latuda®. Their support, coupled with the experience of our proven leadership team, positions Sumitovant to accelerate the pace of medical innovation for patients who need new treatment options today.”
“I am pleased that we and Roivant have closed our important deal which comprises one of the strategic investments that we are making to address our challenges laid out in the Mid-term Business Plan 2022,” said Hiroshi Nomura, Representative Director, President and CEO of Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma and Chairman of the Sumitovant Board of Directors. “We are thrilled to have Sumitovant as one of the core growth engines for Sumitomo Dainippon. Sumitovant is headed by a proven leader in Myrtle Potter and has a strong pipeline of drug candidates for women’s health, urology, prostate cancer, and multiple rare diseases including cystic fibrosis. The closing of this deal now sets us squarely on a path to establish our position as a ‘Global Specialized Player’ which we aspire to be in 2033.”
About Sumitovant Biopharma
Sumitovant is a global biopharmaceutical company with offices in New York City and London. Sumitovant is the parent company of five biopharma subsidiaries: Myovant, Urovant, Enzyvant, Altavant and Spirovant. Sumitovant’s promising pipeline is comprised of early- through late-stage investigational medicines across a range of disease areas targeting high unmet need. We are a wholly owned subsidiary of Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma. For further information about Sumitovant please visit https://www.sumitovant.com.
About the DrugOme and Digital Innovation Technologies
DrugOme is a technology platform that facilitates asset selection and informs clinical development and commercial strategy through computational analytics and techniques. This proprietary platform integrates data from the entire universe of drug development: molecules, targets, indications, institutions, and trials. These inputs help with the identification of high-value assets for further diligence and the optimization of development strategies.
Digital Innovation is a platform for applying technology to business problems to optimize business value. The involved technologists are embedded in each Vant and improve workflow and decision making by developing and deploying bespoke technologies and enabling automation.
About Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma Co., Ltd.
Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma is among the top-ten listed pharmaceutical companies in Japan, operating globally in major pharmaceutical markets, including Japan, the U.S., China and the European Union. Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma is based on the merger in 2005 between Dainippon Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., and Sumitomo Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd. Today, Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma has more than 6,000 employees worldwide. Additional information about Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma is available through its corporate website at https://www.ds-pharma.com.
About Roivant
Roivant Sciences aims to improve health by rapidly delivering innovative medicines and technologies to patients. Roivant does this by building Vants – nimble, entrepreneurial biotech, and healthcare technology companies with a unique approach to sourcing talent, aligning incentives, and deploying technology to drive greater efficiency in R&D and commercialization. For further information about Roivant, please visit www.roivant.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements that are based on management’s assumptions and beliefs in light of information available up to the day of announcement and thus involve both known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Actual financial results and other situations of the future may differ materially from those presented in this press release due to various factors.
Media Contacts:
Sumitovant Biopharma, Inc.
Mili Shah
[email protected]
Roivant Sciences
Paul Davis
[email protected]
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SOURCE Sumitovant Biopharma
