Nxera Pharma joins the World Orphan Drug Alliance


  • Nxera Pharma to represent WODA in Japan and South Korea
  • WODA offers a ‘one-stop’ solution for biopharma companies seeking to commercialize rare or orphan medicines across global markets

Tokyo, Japan and Cambridge, UK, 8 April 2024 – Nxera Pharma Co. Ltd (“Nxera” or “the Company; TSE 4565) – formerly known as Sosei Group or Sosei Heptares – announces it has joined the World Orphan Drug Alliance (“WODA” or the “Alliance”), a global alliance of commercial distributors dedicated to providing access to treatments for rare diseases and specialty medicines in complex markets around the world. The Alliance consists of 12 member companies and provides access to approximately 200 million rare disease patients across 156 countries. Nxera will represent WODA in Japan and South Korea.

Through the Alliance and its global networks, Nxera will gain access to a pipeline of novel medicines targeting rare or orphan diseases as potential licensing opportunities (with no obligation) for its late clinical stage and commercialization operations in Japan and South Korea. Economic terms would be determined on an individual basis should Nxera decide to in-license any product opportunities from the Alliance.

Chris Cargill, President & CEO of Nxera Pharma, commented: “Nxera Pharma is delighted to be a part of WODA’s expansion. People with rare or orphan diseases in Japan and South Korea deserve better access to effective, life-changing medicines. At Nxera Pharma, we are committed to delivering this and I am confident that being part of this global alliance will support our collective mission to provide the best new therapies to patients in need.”

“Orphan drugs for rare diseases and oncology are just the tip of the iceberg of today's needs. For the over 6.2 billion people in the vast area covered by WODA, we want to do everything we can to play a central role in their individual journeys to access new and future therapies,” said Patrick Jordan, Chairman of WODA. "Nxera Pharma was a logical partner for Japan and South Korea given its depth of experience in these markets and helps round out our Asian offering.”  

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About WODA
The World Orphan Drug Alliance (WODA) is a global alliance of commercial distributors focused on providing access to treatments for rare diseases and specialty medicines in complex markets around the world. WODA aims to provide comprehensive support to pharmaceutical and biotech companies with rare disease, oncology, and highly specialized therapeutics portfolio, starting from Named Patient Programs through to full commercialization. 
www.woda-alliance.com 

About Nxera Pharma
Nxera Pharma (formerly Sosei Heptares) 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. 

In addition to several products being commercialized in Japan, we are advancing an extensive pipeline of over 30 active programs from discovery through to late clinical stage internally and in partnership with leading pharma and biotech companies. This pipeline is focused on addressing major unmet needs in some of the fastest-growing areas of medicine across neurology, GI and immunology, metabolic disorders and rare diseases, and leverages the power of our unique and industry leading GPCR-targeted structure-based drug discovery “NxWaveTM” platform to provide a sustainable source of best- or first-in-class candidates.

Nxera employs over 350 talented people at key locations in Tokyo and Osaka (Japan), London and Cambridge (UK), Basel (Switzerland) and Seoul (South Korea) and is listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange (ticker: 4565).

For more information, please visit www.nxera.life 
LinkedIn: @NxeraPharma | X: @NxeraPharma | YouTube: @NxeraPharma

Enquiries:

Nxera Pharma – Media and Investor Relations
Kentaro Tahara, VP Investor Relations and Corporate Strategy
Shinichiro Nishishita, VP Investor Relations, Head of Regulatory Disclosures
Maya Bennison, Communications Manager
+81 (0)3 5210 3399 | +44 (0)1223 949390 | IR@Nxera.life 

MEDiSTRAVA Consulting (for International Media)
Mark Swallow, Frazer Hall, Erica Hollingsworth
+44 (0)203 928 6900 | Nxera@medistrava.com

World Orphan Drug Alliance
Tina Vojnovic, Head of Corporate Communications and PR
+386 41 744 735 | tina.vojnovic@woda-alliance.com 

Forward-looking statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements, including statements about the discovery, development, and commercialization of products. Various risks may cause Nxera Pharma Group’s actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward looking statements, including: adverse results in clinical development programs; failure to obtain patent protection for inventions; commercial limitations imposed by patents owned or controlled by third parties; dependence upon strategic alliance partners to develop and commercialize products and services; difficulties or delays in obtaining regulatory approvals to market products and services resulting from development efforts; the requirement for substantial funding to conduct research and development and to expand commercialization activities; and product initiatives by competitors. As a result of these factors, prospective investors are cautioned not to rely on any forward-looking statements. We disclaim any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.