BioCentury
ARTICLE | Company News

Theravance infectious, gastrointestinal, pulmonary news

April 29, 2013 7:00 AM UTC

Theravance plans to split into two publicly traded companies to separate its partnered late-stage respiratory assets from its R&D. One company - Royalty Management Co. - will manage all development and commercial responsibilities, plus potential royalty revenues, for long-acting adrenergic receptor beta 2 agonist (LABA) products partnered with GlaxoSmithKline plc (LSE:GSK; NYSE:GSK, London, U.K.). The products, which are in development for asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), are Relvar/Breo fluticasone furoate/vilanterol; Anoro Ellipta umeclidinium bromide/vilanterol; and vilanterol. Breo and Anoro Ellipta are under review in Europe and the U.S.

The other company - Theravance Biopharma - will be capitalized with about $300 million to focus on discovery and R&D of small molecules. The company will also house Theravance's only marketed drug, antibiotic Vibativ telavancin. Its pipeline will include TD-1211, an oral peripheral mu opioid receptor antagonist that has completed a Phase IIb trial to treat opioid-induced constipation (OIC); and TD-9855, a norepinephrine and serotonin reuptake inhibitor (NSRI) in Phase II testing for ADHD and fibromyalgia. The company will also develop two COPD programs partnered with GSK: GSK961081, a bifunctional muscarinic receptor antagonist and beta 2 agonist (MABA), which is slated to start Phase III testing this year as monotherapy and in combination with a corticosteroid; and umeclidinium bromide/vilanterol/fluticasone furoate, which is in Phase I testing. ...