Dermavant wins big!

Today Dermavant announced that it had entered into an agreement with Japan Tobacco and their Torii Pharmaceutical subsidiary to develop and commercialize tapinarof in Japan.  It’s a great start to the year and good news for doctors in Japan who are looking for new options to treat their patients suffering from psoriasis and atopic dermatitis.  It’s gratifying to see when good things happen to good people.

To be clear, tapinarof is not approved in Japan, the US or anywhere else in the world.  Yet.  But after attending the Dermatology Summit and also the JP Morgan healthcare conference again this year I can tell you with confidence that it is perhaps the most exciting asset in medical dermatology today.  Phase 2b studies in both atopic dermatitis and psoriasis showed clear and compelling results for this first-in-class therapy in terms of safety and efficacy and the phase 3 program in psoriasis is well-underway with the data read-out expected later this year.  Assuming all goes to plan, it will be the first topical drug approved for both indications since the advent of steroids, which are effective but have many side-effect issues that limit their long-term use.  Good news, really good news for patients.

This is also good news for healthcare professionals – the tireless men and women on medicine’s frontlines who are looking for options to improve care for the patients they serve.  The doctors who are leading the clinical development of tapinarof in the U.S and Japan are at the forefront of dermatology.  They are aware of the current treatment paradigms and searching for ways to deliver better results.  Their commitment to advancing tapinarof and the advice provided along the way have contributed to make this program stronger and unlock the full potential of tapinarof.

In choosing Japan Tobacco and its Torii Pharmaceuticals subsidiary, Dermavant has chosen well.  JT/Torii is a major player in the Japanese dermatology market, certainly one of the leaders.  The deal teams worked hard to find common ground and structure a partnership with a long-term focus.  It’s a true win-win with a patient-focus bias driving the decision making.

The economics of this deal has garnered some attention. It is the largest deal of its type in Japan on record and a real win for privately-held Dermavant.  As impressive as this seems, what matters most, and what drives the company forward, is their unwavering focus on serving patients by partnering with healthcare professionals.  This kind of commitment doesn’t happen by mistake and is a credit to the entire organization, from the CEO on down.

Congratulations to Dermavant and Japan Tobacco!