RespiVert

RespiVert Ltd. was a drug discovery and development company specializing in inhaled therapies for severe respiratory diseases. Founded in 2006 as a spin-out from Imperial College London, the company focused on creating treatments for patients whose conditions were unresponsive to existing therapies like inhaled corticosteroids. The founding team was a blend of academic and pharmaceutical expertise, including Professor Peter Barnes and Kazuhiro Ito from Imperial College's National Heart and Lung Institute, alongside former GlaxoSmithKline executives Garth Rapeport, Peter Strong, and John Murray. Garth Rapeport, who served as CEO, brought extensive experience from his time at Pfizer and as head of the Respiratory Centre of Excellence for Drug Discovery at GSK.

The company's core business was the discovery of small-molecule drugs targeting pulmonary diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), severe asthma, and cystic fibrosis. RespiVert operated on a venture-backed model, securing funding from investors including Advent Venture Partners, SV Life Sciences, Fidelity Biosciences, and Imperial Innovations Group. Its business strategy centered on advancing a portfolio of novel kinase inhibitors through preclinical and early clinical development. The objective was to develop first-in-class treatments that offered a new therapeutic approach by targeting the underlying inflammation in severe respiratory conditions.

RespiVert's product pipeline featured narrow-spectrum kinase inhibitors, noted for their distinct anti-inflammatory profile. The lead compounds, RV-568 and RV-1088, were being advanced toward clinical trials as potential treatments for moderate-to-severe asthma, COPD, and cystic fibrosis. These inhaled therapies were designed to provide a much-needed alternative for patients with severe forms of these diseases who have limited treatment options. The company’s work was based at the Imperial BioIncubator in London.

In June 2010, after approximately three years of operation and a single round of financing, RespiVert was acquired by Centocor Ortho Biotech Inc., a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson. The acquisition provided Centocor with RespiVert's portfolio of early-stage inhaled treatments and its experienced scientific team. Following the transaction, RespiVert was to continue its research and discovery operations in London, with its team leading the ongoing clinical development of its lead compounds in collaboration with Centocor. The deal represented a successful and rapid exit for its venture capital investors.

Keywords: RespiVert, drug discovery, inhaled therapies, respiratory disease, COPD, cystic fibrosis, severe asthma, kinase inhibitors, anti-inflammatory, Johnson & Johnson acquisition, Centocor Ortho Biotech, Garth Rapeport, Peter Barnes, Imperial College spin-out, venture capital, biopharmaceutical, pulmonary disease, small-molecule drugs, preclinical development, clinical development