Biotech Values

[DewDiligence]

(ENTA)—PFE acquires private RSV-therapeutics company for undisclosed up-front and $525 biobucks:

https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220407005081/en/

https://www.evaluate.com/vantage/articles/news/deals-snippets/pfizer-doubles-down-respiratory-syncytial-virus

Reviral (the private company being acquired) has an RSV fusion inhibitor, Sisunatovir, in phase-2 trials for hospitalized infants (https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210616005103/en ) and immune-comprised adults, with data from both expected in 2H23. Reviral also has an N-protein inhibitor in phase-1.

As ENTA’s Jay Luly has mentioned on many occasions, RSV fusion inhibitors, which seek to prevent the virus from entering cells, haven’t worked especially well for patients who have a high viral load at treatment start. That’s why ENTA’s lead RSV compound is the N-protein inhibitor, EDP-938. ENTA expects to report phase-2b (‘RSVP’) data for EDP-938 during 2Q22; the phase-2a data were recently published in NEJM (#msg-167916018).

ENTA also has a second RSV compound, EDP-323, an L-protein inhibitor; this is an MoA no other company is pursuing (yet), as far as I know.