Roivant's experimental lung disease drug meets goals in mid-stage study

Viatris

08/09/2026 11:59

Sept 8 (Reuters) - Roivant ROIV.O said on Tuesday its experimental drug met the main goals of a mid-stage study in patients with high blood pressure associated with a type of lung disease, sending shares up about 20% in premarket trading.
Roivant has been expanding its late-stage pipeline after winning U.S. approval last month for skin and muscle disease treatment Lisraya. 
The drug developer said the experimental drug, mosliciguat, met the study's main goal, reducing pressure and resistance in lung blood vessels by 56.3% compared with placebo after 16 weeks of treatment.
Pulmonary hypertension develops in patients with interstitial lung disease when scarring damages blood vessels in the lungs, forcing the heart to work harder to pump blood.
Mosliciguat also met secondary goals, the company said, helping patients walk 35.2 meters farther in a six-minute walking test compared with placebo after 16 weeks.
A blood test marker linked to heart strain fell 53.2% compared with placebo at Week 16.
Benefits continued through Week 24, with patients walking 52.7 meters farther than those on placebo and showing further reductions in the heart-stress marker.
The trial enrolled 135 patients across 87 sites in 20 countries.
Treatment options for the condition currently include inhaled treprostinil products such as United Therapeutics' UTHR.O Tyvaso and Tyvaso DPI and Liquidia's Yutrepia, as well as off-label use of PDE5 inhibitors such as Viatris' VTRS.O Viagra and Lilly's LLY.N Cialis, which help improve blood flow through the lungs.
Roivant has already started a late-stage study and plans to enroll about 375 patients worldwide, it said. 

(Reporting by Sahil Pandey in Bengaluru; Editing by Jonathan Ananda)
((Sahil.Pandey@thomsonreuters.com;))