Santhera Signs Licensing Deal With Nxera Pharma for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Therapy

05:48 AM EST, 01/08/2026 (MT Newswires) -- Santhera Pharmaceuticals (SANN.SW) entered an exclusive licensing agreement with Nxera Pharma UK for its Agamree, or vamorolone, therapy for Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a rare type of inherited neurodegenerative disease. Nxera will be responsible for securing regulatory approval, carrying out clinical trials, as well as marketing and manufacturing activities for the drug in Japan, South Korea, Australia, and New Zealand, according to a Thursday release. In exchange, the Swiss pharmaceutical company will receive an upfront payment of $40 million from Nxera, which comprises a $30 million cash settlement and a $10 million equity investment. Santhera is also entitled to sales and regulatory milestone fees of up to $165 million, as well as double-digit tiered royalties on net sales in the licensed countries.