Repros Therapeutics

In 1987, a biopharmaceutical company named Zonagen was founded by Dr. Bonnie S. Dunbar, Baylor College of Medicine, and a group of investors. The company's initial focus was on developing a contraceptive vaccine based on Dr. Dunbar's research. The company went public in 1993, but after a failed clinical trial in 1996 and the abandonment of its lead drug candidate, Zonagen faced significant challenges. In 2006, under the leadership of CEO Joseph S. Podolski, the company changed its name to Repros Therapeutics, signaling a shift in its strategy to focus on developing small molecule drugs for reproductive system disorders. This new chapter for the company involved developing drugs like Proellex for uterine fibroids and Androxal for male hypogonadism. However, the path remained difficult, with clinical holds and regulatory hurdles. In a pivotal event in December 2017, the global pharmaceutical company Allergan announced it would acquire the struggling Repros Therapeutics. The acquisition, valued at approximately $26 million, was completed in the first quarter of 2018, marking the end of Repros' journey as an independent company and its integration into a larger entity.