Roivant in talks to sell bowel disease drug to Roche in over $7 billion deal

(Reuters) – Biotech company Roivant Sciences is nearing a deal to sell an experimental drug to treat inflammatory bowel diseases including ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease to Roche in a deal that could be valued at more than $7 billion, the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday.

The sale of the drug could be announced in the coming days, the report said, citing people familiar with the matter. The talks could still fall apart and another suitor could swoop in, it added.

Shares of Roivant rose 12.8% in extended trade.

Roivant’s experimental drug, RVT-3101, is under clinical trials for the treatment of moderate-to-severe ulcerative colitis, a long-term condition where the colon and rectum become inflamed, as well as a type of inflammatory bowel disease known as Crohn’s disease.

RVT-3101 showed improvement in inflammation and ulcers in colon, when compared to placebo, in a mid-stage study in June.

Roivant declined to comment, whereas Roche did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.