Centocor Buys RespiVert

Centocor Ortho Biotech Inc., a J&J subsidiary, has acquired RespiVert Ltd., a privately held drug discovery company focused on developing small-molecule, inhaled therapies for the treatment of pulmonary diseases. RespiVert’s lead compounds, RV-568 and RV-1088, narrow spectrum kinase inhibitors with a unique profile of anti-inflammatory activities, are progressing into clinical development as potential first-in-class treatments for moderate to severe asthma, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and Cystic Fibrosis (CF). The clinical development of RV-568 and RV-1088 will be led by RespiVert in collaboration with scientists at Centocor R&D.

“The RespiVert compounds offer the potential for a new class of medicines for patients with severe lung disease who are insensitive to inhaled corticosteroids,” said Susan Dillon, Ph.D., Global Therapeutic Area Head, Immunology, Centocor R&D, Inc. “The addition of RespiVert’s expert scientific team and discovery platforms for inhaled medicines strengthens our capabilities and further builds our pipeline of novel oral and biologic therapies for serious pulmonary diseases.”

Dr. Garth Rapeport, chief executive officer of RespiVert, will remain with the group following the acquisition. He remarked, “We believe that our focused discovery efforts in pulmonary disease offer a unique opportunity to bring completely new treatment options to patients who suffer from severe, chronic respiratory diseases including COPD, severe asthma and CF.”

RespiVert will continue to maintain its R&D presence in London from the Imperial BioIncubator, which is based at the campus of Imperial College London.Financial terms were not disclosed.