SPAC Securities Class Action Comes For Private Equity Sponsor

Pharmaceutical and biotech companies, with proprietary and potentially lucrative products, have been popular targets for SPAC sponsors. Unfortunately, one such private equity sponsor may have its hands full after its managing partner was publicly named in a securities class action.

Immunovant Sciences was a private clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company that develops treatments for autoimmune diseases. One of its promising drugs - IMVT-1401 - was in Phase II clinical trials for the treatment of Graves' ophthalmopathy and warm autoimmune hemolytic anemia. Dr. Roderick Wong, Managing Partner/Chief Investment Officer of RTW Investments and CEO of blank-check company Health Sciences Acquisitions Corporation ("HSAC"), must have liked what he saw, as Immunovant Sciences entered into a merger agreement with HSAC on September 29, 2019, after which the new company "changed" its name to Immunovant, Inc.