Nuvectis Pharma Inc (NASDAQ:NVCT) shares gained 5.7% in premarket trading on Monday after the company announced a licensing agreement with Haisco Pharmaceutical Group that grants it exclusive rights outside China to two late-stage clinical assets.
The transaction significantly broadens Nuvectis’ development portfolio, adding programmes in complement-mediated diseases and strengthening its oncology pipeline.
Deal Adds NXP100 and NXP200 to Development Portfolio
Under the agreement, Nuvectis will acquire ex-China rights to NXP100, a Complement Factor B inhibitor, and NXP200, a next-generation BRAF inhibitor.
The company said the addition of the two candidates advances its transition into a late-stage clinical development business while diversifying its therapeutic focus beyond oncology alone.
NXP100 Targets Multiple Complement-Mediated Diseases
NXP100 is an oral, once-daily therapy currently under regulatory review in China for the treatment of Paroxysmal Nocturnal Hemoglobinuria (PNH).
The candidate is also being evaluated in a Phase 3 study for Immunoglobulin A Nephropathy and a Phase 2 trial for Lupus Nephritis.
Clinical results have been encouraging. In one Phase 3 study involving treatment-naive PNH patients, 59.5% achieved haemoglobin levels of at least 12 g/dL without requiring transfusions, compared with 8.3% of patients receiving eculizumab.
A separate Phase 3 trial found that 52.8% of patients who had not responded adequately to C5 inhibitor therapies reached the same endpoint.
NXP200 Strengthens Oncology Ambitions
The second asset, NXP200, is an oral BRAF inhibitor designed to penetrate the brain and address some of the limitations associated with earlier-generation treatments.
The compound has demonstrated single-agent activity across a range of tumour types, including central nervous system cancers, colorectal cancer, melanoma and non-small-cell lung cancer.
A Phase 1b clinical trial is currently underway in China.
Agreement Includes Significant Milestone Potential
As part of the transaction, Haisco will receive upfront and near-term payments of up to $40 million.
The agreement also includes the potential for up to $1.421 billion in development, regulatory and commercial milestone payments, in addition to tiered royalties on future product sales.
Completion of the deal remains subject to Nuvectis satisfying certain financing requirements.
Management Highlights Long-Term Opportunity
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Ron Bentsur said NXP100 has the potential to become an important treatment option across several complement-mediated disorders.
According to Bentsur, the therapy could offer patients a convenient oral alternative with once-daily dosing while addressing significant unmet medical needs in multiple disease areas.
The company believes the addition of both NXP100 and NXP200 enhances its long-term growth prospects by providing exposure to large commercial markets and multiple potential value-creating clinical milestones.