Roivant Creates Biotech Subsidiary to Tackle Respiratory Disease

Roivant Sciences Ltd., an umbrella company of biotech firms backed by Softbank Group Corp., is launching a new drugmaker to develop therapeutic treatments for serious respiratory diseases.

Called Respivant Sciences, the new company’s pipeline will be anchored by RVT-1601, a drug Roivant acquired this month from Patara Pharma Inc. It treats a cough associated with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, a chronic lung disease. Bill Gerhart, the former chief executive officer of now-disbanded Patara, will head the startup, Roivant said in a statement Monday.

The drug still needs approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, but Roivant said early clinical trials ...