2 minute read | January.09.2026
Nxera Pharma Co. Ltd (“Nxera”) (TSE: 4565) has entered into an exclusive licensing agreement for the development, manufacturing and commercialization of vamorolone for the treatment of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (“DMD”) in Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand with Santhera Pharmaceuticals Holding (“Santhera”) (SIX: SANN).
Orrick advised Nxera.
Nxera is a technology powered biopharma company in pursuit of new specialty medicines to improve the lives of patients with unmet needs in Japan and globally.
Santhera is a Swiss specialty pharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of innovative medicines for rare neuromuscular diseases with high unmet medical need.
The addition of vamorolone into Nxera’s portfolio of innovative medicines for rare and specialty diseases introduces a late-stage development candidate with the potential to address significant unmet needs of patients in Japan and the Asia-Pacific region living with DMD—a rare inherited X-chromosome-linked disease that leads to progressive muscle degeneration and weakness, reducing life expectancy to before the fourth decade. Vamorolone is approved and marketed as AGAMREE® for the treatment of DMD in the US, European Union, UK and China.
Under the terms of the exclusive licensing agreement, Nxera will make an upfront payment of $40 million to Santhera, consisting of $30 million in cash and $10 million as a strategic equity investment. Santhera is also eligible to receive milestone payments and tiered royalties on net sales of vamorolone in the licensed territories.
The Orrick team is led by David Schulman and Edward Dyson, supported by Hiroki Sugita, Niki Fang, Megan McKnelly, Abigail Parkin and Kazuya Takeda.