Roivant pivot: FDA fast-tracks dermatomyositis drug as lead asset misses study goals

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Roivant pivot: FDA fast-tracks dermatomyositis drug as lead asset misses study goals
Roivant pivot: FDA fast-tracks dermatomyositis drug as lead asset misses study goals
Liezl Gambe
Written by Liezl Gambe
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Roivant Sciences (NASDAQ:ROIV) provided a comprehensive clinical and regulatory update on Thursday, April 2, 2026, revealing a bifurcated path for its most advanced autoimmune programs.

While the company secured a critical regulatory timeline for its lead immunology asset, it also reported a significant setback for its second-generation antibody therapy.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Priority Review to the New Drug Application (NDA) for brepocitinib, a potential first-in-class treatment for dermatomyositis (DM).

The agency has assigned a PDUFA target action date in the third quarter of 2026, positioning Roivant for a potential commercial launch by late September.

The application is supported by positive data from the Phase 3 VALOR study, which was the first 52-week placebo-controlled trial to demonstrate significant clinical benefits in this patient population.

Simultaneously, Roivant and its subsidiary Immunovant reported that batoclimab failed to meet the primary endpoint in two Phase 3 studies for active, moderate-to-severe thyroid eye disease (TED).

Neither study achieved the prespecified ≥2mm proptosis responder rate at Week 24.

While the safety profile remained consistent with previous trials, the failure to meet the primary efficacy goal likely stalls the development of batoclimab in this indication.

Roivant noted that patients showed more significant improvement during the initial 12-week high-dose period, suggesting that "deeper suppression" of IgG may be required for optimal results—a finding that will inform the development of its next-generation asset, IMVT-1402.

To maintain its late-stage momentum, Roivant’s affiliate Priovant expanded its portfolio by initiating a seamless Phase 2b/3 trial for brepocitinib in lichen planopilaris (LPP).

The trial enrolled its first subjects in March 2026, targeting a severe inflammatory condition that causes irreversible hair loss and currently lacks any FDA-approved therapies.

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