ReViral acquired by Pfizer
Source: CRUNCHBASE
Announced Date: Apr 7, 2022
Acquisition Type: Acquisition
Price: $525M
Acquisition Status: Pending

Pfizer to Acquire ReViral and Its Respiratory Syncytial Virus Therapeutic Candidates
ReViral press release
Apr 7, 2022

[snip]

• Proposed acquisition strengthens Pfizer’s capabilities in infectious disease research and development with a complementary strategy to help improve patient outcomes through treatment for respiratory syncytial virus< (RSV) infections and prevent illness through vaccination

• Expands Pfizer’s innovative anti-infective pipeline and utilizes the company’s R&D, manufacturing and commercialization expertise with the goal of addressing a significant unmet need for RSV treatments

NEW YORK, LONDON and RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C., April 7, 2022
Pfizer Inc. (NYSE: PFE) and ReViral Ltd. announced today that the companies have entered into a definitive agreement under which Pfizer will acquire ReViral, a privately held, clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering, developing, and commercializing novel antiviral therapeutics that target respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).

“At Pfizer, we have a strong heritage in, and commitment to, fighting infectious diseases, most recently evidenced by our delivery of the first authorized vaccine and oral therapy to combat COVID-19,” said Albert Bourla, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Pfizer. “We’re continuing to grow our pipeline – through our own research-and-development efforts, such as our investigational RSV vaccine programs, as well as strategic investments in companies like ReViral – with a focus on end-to-end capabilities to help protect patients from severe illness, hospitalization, and death.”

RSV is a respiratory pathogen, which can lead to severe and life-threatening lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) in high-risk populations, including young infants, immunocompromised individuals, and older adults. It is estimated to cause infections in approximately 64 million people, resulting in about 160,000 deaths, globally each year.

ReViral has a portfolio of promising therapeutic candidates, including sisunatovir, an orally administered inhibitor designed to block fusion of the RSV virus to the host cell. Sisunatovir significantly reduced viral load in a phase 2 RSV human challenge study in healthy adults and is currently in phase 2 clinical development in infants. The development program for sisunatovir is expected to continue in both adult and pediatric populations. A second program is focused on the inhibition of RSV replication targeting the viral N protein. The lead candidate in this program is currently in phase 1 clinical development.