UCB to acquire Neurona Therapeutics

UCB (UCBJF) announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement under which UCB would acquire Neurona Therapeutics, including lead asset NRTX-1001, adding to UCB’s epilepsy portfolio. Neurona Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biotherapeutics company focused on advancing regenerative cell therapies for epilepsies and other disorders of the nervous system. “The proposed acquisition of Neurona Therapeutics demonstrates our innovation strategy in action and reinforces UCB’s commitment to delivering meaningful innovation to people living with epilepsy, particularly forms of epilepsy with high unmet need. For more than 30 years, UCB has helped shape the modern epilepsy landscape. Bringing NRTX-1001 into our portfolio allows us to extend that legacy into the era of regenerative medicine. We believe this therapy has the potential to provide durable targeted repair of the nervous system following a single dose and could represent a major step forward for people living with mesial temporal lobe epilepsy,” said Jean-Christophe Tellier, Chief Executive Officer at UCB. Under the terms of the agreement, UCB will pay $650M upfront and up to $500M in potential future milestone payments. The transaction remains subject to certain closing conditions, including required anti-trust clearance and other customary conditions, and is expected to close by end of Q2 2026. “Following this transaction, UCB confirms that 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 (CER). 2026 underlying profitability, measured by adjusted EBITDA, is now expected to grow in a high single-digit to mid-teens percentage range at CER. Corrected for other operating one-offs in 2025, adjusted EBITDA growth in 2026 is expected to be in the mid-teens to mid-twenties percentage range at CER. These expectations exclude the potential impact of U.S. tariffs and any implications related to a most favored nation pricing arrangement, as no final outcomes have been determined at this stage,” the company added.