AbbVie has taken an exclusive worldwide licence to develop and commercialise NXE0033744, Nxera Pharma’s oral small molecule EP4 receptor agonist, for inflammatory bowel disease. Nxera announced the agreement on November 4 through its UK subsidiary. AbbVie pays 100 million dollars upfront, and Nxera is eligible for up to 1.37 billion dollars in development and commercial milestone payments plus tiered royalties on net sales, a total potential value of 1.47 billion dollars. The transaction is subject to customary antitrust clearances, including under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Act.
NXE0033744 was discovered on Nxera’s NxWave platform and is designed to activate EP4 receptors locally in the gastrointestinal tract, promoting epithelial barrier repair and mucosal healing alongside anti-inflammatory effects. A completed Phase 1 programme supported a gut selective profile and target engagement, according to the companies. The candidate covers both Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.
Nxera expects the 100 million dollar upfront payment to have a material positive effect on revenue, recognised in the fourth quarter of its financial year ending December 31, 2026, subject to agreement with its auditors.
The price carries a history. Nxera, formerly Sosei, had pulled back from this programme late last year as part of a pipeline and workforce restructuring, Fierce Biotech reported. AbbVie is therefore buying an asset its owner had deprioritised, on the view that a mechanism aimed at healing the gut lining complements its immunology franchise rather than duplicating it. Whether that biology translates into disease control in patients is unproven beyond Phase 1, and the milestone heavy structure leaves most of the 1.47 billion dollars contingent on it.