UCB has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Neurona Therapeutics, a U.S.-based clinical-stage biotherapeutics company focused on regenerative cell therapies for epilepsies and other nervous system disorders. The deal is intended to add Neurona’s lead asset, NRTX‑1001, to UCB’s epilepsy portfolio and to expand UCB’s presence in next‑generation, disease‑modifying therapies for epilepsy.
Neurona’s platform uses regenerative pluripotent stem cell technology to deliver cells designed to structurally and functionally restore impaired neural circuits. NRTX‑1001, a regenerative neural cell therapy candidate, is being evaluated in phase I/II clinical trials in drug‑resistant unilateral and bilateral mesial temporal lobe epilepsy with and without mesial temporal sclerosis. The therapy is administered as a minimally invasive, single intracerebral dose of gamma‑aminobutyric acid (GABA)-producing cells intended to repair and rebalance overactive neural networks and potentially provide durable seizure reduction. Based on preliminary data, NRTX‑1001 has received Regenerative Medicine Advanced Therapy designation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and PRIME (Priority Medicines) designation from the European Medicines Agency.
Under the terms of the agreement, UCB will pay Neurona shareholders an upfront cash consideration of 650 million U.S. dollars and up to 500 million U.S. dollars in potential future milestone payments, for a total transaction value of up to 1.15 billion U.S. dollars. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including antitrust clearance, and is expected to close by the end of the second quarter of 2026.
UCB stated that its 2026 revenue guidance remains unchanged, with revenue expected to grow in a high single‑digit to low double‑digit percentage range at constant exchange rates. The company now expects 2026 underlying profitability, measured by adjusted EBITDA, to grow in a high single‑digit to mid‑teens percentage range at constant exchange rates, and, adjusted for one‑off items in 2025, in the mid‑teens to mid‑twenties percentage range. These expectations exclude any potential impact from U.S. tariffs or most‑favored‑nation pricing policies. UCB indicated that NRTX‑1001 remains an investigational product and has not been approved by any health authority.
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