• 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.

Nxera Pharma Co., Ltd. (“Nxera” or the “Company”; TSE: 4565) 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.”