Arakis Limited

About Arakis Limited

Arakis Limited was a UK-based biopharmaceutical company founded in 2000, operating from Cambridge. The firm focused on a lower-risk business model centered around drug reprofiling—identifying new uses for existing drugs and drug templates, including those that had stalled in Phase II development. This strategy aimed to build a sustainable pipeline of commercially attractive products.

The company successfully developed several products, including NVA237, a treatment for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which was co-developed with Vectura and licensed to Novartis in April 2005. This deal validated Arakis's business model and its ability to develop products that attract major pharmaceutical partners. Another key asset was AD 452, a small molecule, disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug (DMARD) designed to treat rheumatoid arthritis. The company's pipeline also included a cancer pain drug that was set to enter Phase III trials in late 2005.

In a significant milestone, Japanese biopharmaceutical company Sosei Co. Ltd. announced its acquisition of Arakis in July 2005 for £106.5 million. The acquisition was completed on August 30, 2005, and was a key step in Sosei's strategy to become a global biopharmaceutical player. Arakis was renamed Sosei R&D. The deal combined Arakis's strengths in EU and US drug development with Sosei's presence in Asian markets, creating an enlarged group with a broad clinical pipeline and enhanced regulatory capabilities. Following the acquisition, Sosei continued to develop Arakis's assets, including Seebri and Ultibro, both used for treating COPD. However, Sosei later announced the closure of its UK R&D operations, which it had acquired from Arakis.