Nxera Pharma has sold the Asia-Pacific rights to Idorsia's phase 3-stage autoimmune drug to Viatris for $10 million upfront.
The drug in question is cenerimod, a S1P1 receptor modulator currently in phase 3 trials for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The latest licensing deal forms part of a broader restructuring of the ownership obligations for cenerimod this week, which saw Idorsia halve the $200 million it was originally liable to pay Viatris as part of the development of both cenerimod and a P2Y12 inhibitor called selatogrel.
One of the knock-on effects of that deal shake-up was that Idorsia gave the nod to Nxera selling on the development and commercialization rights for cenerimod in “Japan, South Korea and certain countries in the Asia-Pacific region excluding China,” according to a postmarket release Feb. 27.
In return, Nxera will receive a $10 million upfront fee and be in line for an undisclosed milestone payment, should the drug get approved in Japan, along with royalty payments in any of the covered territories.
The Sosei Group acquired the relevant rights to cenerimod when it bought Idorsia’s Japanese business in 2023. Incorporating these assets into the company led Sosei to rebrand as Nxera last year. That year also saw Viatris acquire the rights to cenerimod in all other regions from Idorsia.
Cenerimod is a highly selective, oral sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor 1 modulator discovered by Idorsia that is being evaluated in a range of automimmune disorders, including phase 3 trials in SLE.
“Cenerimod has demonstrated compelling disease-modifying activity across multiple autoimmune disorders and already has become a key development asset for Viatris within its immunology platform,” Nxera Pharma Japan’s chief medical officer and president Makoto Sugita, M.D., Ph.D., said in the release.
“In gaining and transferring Japan and APAC (ex-China) rights to Viatris, we are confident that cenerimod is in the best place to be advanced to fulfil its potential for patients while at the same time maximising value for Nxera shareholders,” Sugita added.