- Nxera to receive US$100 million upfront and be eligible for up to US$1.37 billion in development and commercial milestone payments, plus tiered royalties.
- NXE0033744, an investigational oral EP4 receptor agonist discovered using Nxera’s NxWave™ drug discovery platform, is a potential first-in-class candidate for inflammatory bowel disease.
Tokyo, Japan and Cambridge, UK, 4 November 2026 – Nxera Pharma Co., Ltd. (“Nxera” or the “Company”; TSE: 4565) today announces that its subsidiary, Nxera Pharma UK Ltd, has entered into an exclusive global license agreement (the “Agreement”) with AbbVie Inc. (“AbbVie”) for Nxera’s EP4 agonist program including NXE0033744, a novel small molecule EP4 receptor agonist discovered by Nxera. Under the Agreement, AbbVie will receive exclusive rights to develop and commercialize NXE0033744 worldwide in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
Under the terms of the Agreement, Nxera will receive an upfront payment of US$100 million. Nxera is also eligible to receive up to an additional US$1.37 billion in development and commercial milestone payments, plus tiered royalties on net sales. This transaction is subject to customary antitrust clearances including the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act. The $100 million USD upfront payment will represent a material positive revenue impact to Nxera, and is expected to be recognized as revenue in the fourth quarter of the financial year ended December 31, 2026, subject to agreement with the Group’s auditors.
NXE0033744 is an investigational oral EP4 receptor agonist for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease discovered using Nxera’s proprietary NxWave™ drug discovery platform. NXE0033744 aims to address the significant unmet need of people with IBD that do not achieve satisfactory disease control. It is designed to selectively activate EP4 receptors locally in the gastrointestinal tract to induce anti-inflammatory effects and to promote epithelial barrier homeostasis and mucosal healing, potentially offering a differentiated mechanism of action from existing treatments. A Phase 1 study has been successfully completed, generating data supporting a gut-selective profile and target engagement.
Christopher Cargill, President and CEO of Nxera Pharma, commented: “This agreement with AbbVie marks a milestone in the continued development of NXE0033744 and reflects the potential of our NxWave™ platform to generate differentiated medicines for significant unmet needs. NXE0033744 is built on a novel biological approach, designed to activate EP4 locally in the gut to support epithelial barrier homeostasis and mucosal healing, potentially offering a differentiated mechanism of action from existing treatments. AbbVie is already an important partner to Nxera through our ongoing neuroscience discovery collaboration, and this agreement is a strong vote of confidence in NxWave’s ability to consistently deliver. With its deep expertise and proven track record in immunological diseases, and global clinical development, we believe AbbVie is the ideal partner to advance the program globally and determine whether this biology can translate into measurable, life-changing outcomes for people with IBD. The upfront payment, together with potential near-term milestone payments, will further strengthen our financial position while enabling Nxera to share in the future success of NXE0033744 and the value it may create.”
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About NXE0033744
NXE0033744 is an investigational first-in-class, oral, small-molecule, GI-targeted EP4 receptor agonist in development for inflammatory bowel disease. It was designed using NxWave™ to act locally in the gastrointestinal tract while minimizing systemic exposure. The completed first-in-human Phase 1 program comprised single- and multiple-ascending-dose studies, a cohort of patients with ulcerative colitis and an indomethacin challenge cohort. Results supported a gut-restricted profile and demonstrated target engagement through a reduction in indomethacin-induced intestinal permeability. No adverse events of concern were reported.
About Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Inflammatory bowel disease is a group of chronic, relapsing inflammatory conditions of the gastrointestinal tract, principally ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease. Despite advances in treatment, many patients do not achieve or maintain adequate and durable remission or mucosal healing, underscoring the need for therapies with novel mechanisms of action that can improve long-term disease control.
About Nxera Pharma
Nxera Pharma is a technology-powered biopharma company in pursuit of new specialty medicines to improve the lives of patients with unmet needs in Japan and globally. The Company has built an agile, new-generation commercial business in Japan to develop and commercialize innovative medicines, including several launched products, to address this high-value, large and growing market and those in the broader APAC region. In addition, the Company is advancing an extensive pipeline internally and in partnership with leading pharma and biotech companies, powered by its unique NxWave™ GPCR structure-based drug discovery platform. Nxera Pharma operates at key locations in Tokyo and Osaka (Japan), London and Cambridge (UK), Basel (Switzerland) and Seoul (South Korea) and is listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange (ticker: 4565).
For more information, please visit www.nxera.life
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Enquiries:
Nxera – Media and Investor Relations
Shinya Tsuzuki, VP, Head of Investor Relations
+81 (0)3 5962 5718 | +44 (0)1223 949390 |IR@Nxera.life
MEDiSTRAVA (for International Media)
Mark Swallow, Frazer Hall, Erica Hollingsworth
+44 (0)203 928 6900 | Nxera@medistrava.com
Forward-looking statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements, including statements about the discovery, development, and commercialization of products. Various risks may cause Nxera Pharma Group’s actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward looking statements, including: adverse results in clinical development programs; failure to obtain patent protection for inventions; commercial limitations imposed by patents owned or controlled by third parties; dependence upon strategic alliance partners to develop and commercialize products and services; difficulties or delays in obtaining regulatory approvals to market products and services resulting from development efforts; the requirement for substantial funding to conduct research and development and to expand commercialization activities; and product initiatives by competitors. As a result of these factors, prospective investors are cautioned not to rely on any forward-looking statements. We disclaim any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
