• Nxera to receive US$100 million upfront and be eligible for up to US$1.37billion in development and commercial milestone payments, plus tieredroyalties.
• NXE0033744, an investigational oral EP4 receptor agonist discovered usingNxera’s NxWave™ drug discovery platform, is a potential first-in-classcandidate 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 globallicense agreement (the “Agreement”) with AbbVie Inc. (“AbbVie”) for Nxera’s EP4 agonist program includingNXE0033744, 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 inflammatorybowel disease (IBD).
Under the terms of the Agreement, Nxera will receive an upfront payment of US$100 million. Nxera is alsoeligible 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 theHart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act. The $100 million USD upfront payment will represent amaterial positive revenue impact to Nxera, and is expected to be recognized as revenue in the fourth quarterof 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 diseasediscovered using Nxera’s proprietary NxWave™ drug discovery platform. NXE0033744 aims to address thesignificant unmet need of people with IBD that do not achieve satisfactory disease control. It is designed toselectively activate EP4 receptors locally in the gastrointestinal tract to induce anti-inflammatory effectsand to promote epithelial barrier homeostasis and mucosal healing, potentially offering a differentiatedmechanism 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 AbbViemarks 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 novelbiological approach, designed to activate EP4 locally in the gut to support epithelial barrier homeostasis andmucosal healing, potentially offering a differentiated mechanism of action from existing treatments. AbbVieis 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 expertiseand proven track record in immunological diseases, and global clinical development, we believe AbbVie isthe ideal partner to advance the program globally and determine whether this biology can translate intomeasurable, life-changing outcomes for people with IBD. The upfront payment, together with potential nearterm milestone payments, will further strengthen our financial position while enabling Nxera to share in thefuture success of NXE0033744 and the value it may create.”
About NXE0033744
NXE0033744 is an investigational first-in-class, oral, small-molecule, GI-targeted EP4 receptor agonist indevelopment for inflammatory bowel disease. It was designed using NxWave™ to act locally in thegastrointestinal tract while minimizing systemic exposure. The completed first-in-human Phase 1 programcomprised single- and multiple-ascending-dose studies, a cohort of patients with ulcerative colitis and anindomethacin challenge cohort. Results supported a gut-restricted profile and demonstrated targetengagement through a reduction in indomethacin-induced intestinal permeability. No adverse events ofconcern were reported.
About Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Inflammatory bowel disease is a group of chronic, relapsing inflammatory conditions of the gastrointestinaltract, principally ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease. Despite advances in treatment, many patients donot achieve or maintain adequate and durable remission or mucosal healing, underscoring the need fortherapies 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 toimprove the lives of patients with unmet needs in Japan and globally. The Company has built an agile, newgeneration commercial business in Japan to develop and commercialize innovative medicines, includingseveral launched products, to address this high-value, large and growing market and those in the broaderAPAC region. In addition, the Company is advancing an extensive pipeline internally and in partnership withleading pharma and biotech companies, powered by its unique NxWave™ GPCR structure-based drugdiscovery platform. Nxera Pharma operates at key locations in Tokyo and Osaka (Japan), London andCambridge (UK), Basel (Switzerland) and Seoul (South Korea) and is listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange(ticker: 4565).