Rovadicitinib

Sanofi is paying $135 million upfront for exclusive rights to develop and commercialise Chia Tai Tianqing Pharmaceutical's experimental oral JAK/ROCK inhibitor rovadicitinib. The deal — disclosed in a regulatory filing by the Chinese company's parent Sino Biopharmaceutical — includes further milestones of up to $1.395 billion, as well as up to double-digit tiered sales royalties.Last month, rovadicitinib gained approval in China under the name Anxu for the first-line treatment of adults with intermediate-2 or high-risk primary myelofibrosis (MF), post-polycythemia vera MF or post-essential thrombocythemia MF. The clearance was supported by findings from a Phase II study, in which rovadicitinib demonstrated superior efficacy compared to hydroxyurea in patients with intermediate-2 or high-risk MF.Results showed that 58.33% of patients given rovadicitinib achieved a ≥35% reduction in spleen volume (SVR35) at week 24 compared with baseline and 63.89% achieved SVR35 at any time point, with an average SVR35 duration of 8.31 months. Sino Biopharm noted that the best ≥50% reduction in total symptom score (TSS50) rate was 77.78% in the rovadicitinib group. The small molecule drug is also being investigated in a Phase III trial in China for the treatment of chronic graft-versus-host disease, having demonstrated superior 12-month failure-free survival and enhanced responses in fibrosis-dominated organs compared to other approved therapies in earlier studies. In the US, rovadicitinib has been cleared to start Phase II development. According to Sino Biopharm, rovadicitnib exerts synergistic anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrotic effects through a dual mechanism of action. The drug targets the JAK/STAT pathway to directly suppress inflammatory signalling, while inhibiting the ROCK pathway modulates STAT3/STAT5 phosphorylation to downregulate overactivated T-helper cells and enhance the function of regulatory T-cells, restoring immune homeostasis.

iStock, Yutthana Gaetgeaw Sanofi will gain global exclusive rights over rovadicitinib, an oral JAK/ROCK blocker that has anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrotic effects. Like multiple other pharma giants, Sanofi’s search for novel innovative drugs has found a deal in Asia. The pharma has entered into a licensing agreement with Sino Biopharmaceutical to advance an oral anti-inflammatory therapy. Sanofi is fronting $135 million , according to a Tuesday securities filing to the Hong Kong stock exchange. In return, the pharma will have the exclusive right to develop, manufacture and commercialize the biotech’s investigational pill rovadicitinib worldwide. Sino Biopharm will also be eligible for up to $1.395 billion in clinical, regulatory and sales milestones, plus double-digit tiered royalties. It is unclear what diseases Sanofi plans to target with rovadicitinib, but according to Tuesday’s regulatory filing, the asset has been cleared for Phase 2 development in the U.S. for chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD). Designed to be an oral medicine, rovadicitinib is a small-molecule inhibitor of the JAK and ROCK proteins. JAK/STAT is a well-characterized pathway in inflammatory diseases, and disrupting this cascade has been shown to have therapeutic effects on various immune-mediated conditions. ROCK, meanwhile, modulates the activity of the STAT3 and STAT5 proteins. By targeting this process, rovadicitinib helps restore immune balance, according to the filing. Through this dual mechanism of action, rovadicitinib exerts “synergistic anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrotic effects,” Sino Biopharm added. The drug is approved in China for the treatment of primary myelofibrosis, post-polycythemia vera myelofibrosis and post-essential thrombocythemia myelofibrosis. Sino Biopharm is the latest addition to a growing group of partners that Sanofi has amassed in recent months. In December, the pharma put up to $1.7 billion on the line to access Dren Bio’s platform to advance treatments for autoimmune diseases. A few months earlier, in March 2025, Sanofi acquired Dren’s B cell depleter DR-0201 for $600 million upfront and up to $1.3 billion in milestones. Also in December, Sanofi landed in Asia to partner with South Korea’s ADEL, betting up to $1.04 billion for an anti-tau antibody in Alzheimer’s disease. Other recent Sanofi deals include its $500 million pact with EVOQ Therapeutics in October and $1.6 billion Vicebio buy in July. The pharma also penned one of last year’s largest acquisitions , swallowing Blueprint Medicines for $9.5 billion in June. Mergers & acquisitions Sanofi Inks $9.5B Blueprint Buyout to Expand Rare Disease Portfolio Blueprint has a next-generation systemic mastocytosis treatment, called elenestinib, that Sanofi CEO Paul Hudson told analysts provides an “opportunity to grow through the ‘30s.” June 2, 2025 · 3 min read · Nick Paul Taylor Read more