Nxera Pharma to Get $4.6M Milestone Payments from Centessa

Tokyo, Japan and Cambridge, UK, 30 May 2024 – Nxera Pharma (TSE: 4565) has achieved a significant milestone that will result in a $4.6 million payment from Centessa Pharmaceuticals. This achievement is related to a license agreement that utilizes Nxera's technology in the creation of Centessa’s novel orexin receptor 2 (OX2R) agonist, named ORX750.

The milestone was met following the clearance of the Investigational New Drug (IND) application for ORX750 and its subsequent progression into a Phase 1 clinical trial. ORX750 is an investigational drug designed to be highly potent and selective in targeting OX2R. It is administered orally and aims to address the core issue of orexin neuron loss observed in narcolepsy type 1 (NT1). Additionally, it could have potential applications for narcolepsy type 2 (NT2), idiopathic hypersomnia, and other sleep-wake disorders where orexin levels are normal.

About Nxera Pharma

Previously known as Sosei Heptares, Nxera Pharma is a technology-driven biopharmaceutical company dedicated to creating specialty medicines that address unmet medical needs both in Japan and globally. The company is advancing a robust pipeline with over 30 active programs that range from discovery to late-stage clinical trials. These programs are conducted internally as well as in collaboration with leading pharmaceutical and biotech companies.

Nxera's pipeline targets significant unmet needs in areas such as neurology, gastrointestinal and immunological conditions, metabolic disorders, and rare diseases. The company's proprietary GPCR-targeted structure-based drug discovery platform, known as NxWave™, is instrumental in developing first-in-class or best-in-class drug candidates.

Nxera employs over 350 professionals across key locations including Tokyo and Osaka in Japan, London and Cambridge in the UK, Basel in Switzerland, and Seoul in South Korea. The company is publicly traded on the Tokyo Stock Exchange under the ticker 4565.

Conclusion

The milestone payment from Centessa Pharmaceuticals signifies an important development for Nxera Pharma, underscoring the potential of their technology in addressing sleep-wake disorders. With an extensive pipeline and a specialized drug discovery platform, Nxera Pharma continues to focus on developing new treatments for various medical conditions, thereby enhancing patient lives globally.

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