Roivant Sciences (ROIV), a leading biotech stock founded by presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, announced significant losses and lower-than-anticipated sales during the second quarter. This news is expected to cause a decline in ROIV stock.
Investors are particularly interested in Roivant’s progress with its drug RVT-3101, which shows promise as a treatment for inflammatory conditions like Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Merck recently acquired Roivant’s close competitor, Prometheus Biosciences, for nearly $11 billion, further highlighting the potential in this market.
Unfortunately, Roivant reported a loss of 48 cents per share on sales of $21.6 million in the second quarter. These figures are likely to disappoint investors. ROIV stock analysts had projected a loss of 28 cents per share and $24.5 million in sales, so the actual numbers fell below expectations.
While the losses matched those of the prior year, sales showed a significant increase year-over-year. Roivant’s sales included approximately $16.7 million from its psoriasis cream Vtama, which received FDA approval last year and is currently being tested for the treatment of eczema in children as young as 2 years old. The remaining sales came from license, milestone, and other payments.
Roivant CEO Matt Gline explained that the second quarter had been “incredibly busy” with various clinical readouts and study initiations. However, sales of Vtama did not meet some analysts’ estimates, suggesting the need for more patience before the drug’s potential as an eczema treatment can be fully realized.
In addition to Vtama, investors are also watching the development of RVT-3101, which targets inflammation by blocking a ligand called TL1A. Similar to the Prometheus drug that led to Merck’s acquisition, Roivant is collaborating with Pfizer on the development of RVT-3101. Speculation has also arisen regarding a potential buyout of Roivant by Roche for approximately $7 billion.
Despite the recent setbacks, ROIV stock has a strong Relative Strength Rating of 98 and is among the top 2% of all stocks in terms of 12-month performance. The shares have also surpassed a buy point, indicating potential growth for the biotech stock.
Overall, investors are closely monitoring Roivant Sciences and its progress in the field of biotechnology, particularly with regards to the potential of RVT-3101 and the expansion of Vtama as a treatment for eczema.