Roche has entered into an exclusive licensing and collaboration agreement with Nurix Therapeutics.

Under the terms of this agreement, the two companies will collaborate to co-develop and co-commercialise bexobrutideg (NX-5948), Nurix’s investigational Bruton’s Tyrosine Kinase (BTK) degrader. The collaboration encompasses a clinical development plan spanning B-cell malignancies, immunology and neurology. The addition of bexobrutideg complements Roche’s existing strengths in hematology and provides a cross-therapeutic opportunity to extend the pipeline's reach in immunology and neurology.

Patients with B-cell-driven malignancies continue to face significant unmet need despite advances with BTK inhibitors and other therapies. In hematology, many patients with CLL ultimately experience disease progression due to acquired resistance mutations, incomplete pathway suppression, or intolerance that limits long-term use, and treatment options remain limited once patients relapse.

BTK-targeting assets represent a leading class within the expanding Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (NHL) and CLL markets. The combined market is projected to reach USD 41 billion by 2031, with BTK inhibitors (BTKi) expected to remain the sales-leading class at approximately USD 19 billion. This growth is particularly evident in the CLL sector, which is forecast to increase from USD 12 billion in 2024 to USD 16 billion by 2035.

Bexobrutideg, an oral targeted BTK degrader, is planned for phase 3 clinical trial initiation in summer 2026 for the second-line treatment of CLL. Available clinical data suggests it has the potential to become a best-in-class treatment option with higher efficacy and more favorable tolerability than established therapies. In addition, it offers the potential to overcome resistance mechanisms found in current standard-of-care BTK inhibitors. This collaboration creates a unique opportunity to leverage Roche’s industry-leading malignant hematology portfolio.

Levi Garraway, Chief Medical Officer (CMO) and Head of Global Product Development, Roche, said, “At Roche, our goal is to create new possibilities for patients with challenging diseases. We believe bexobrutideg could represent a major leap forward in the fight against complex blood cancers and other diseases. We are proud to join forces with Nurix to accelerate these potential breakthroughs.”

While BTK is a proven target in B-cell malignancies, it is also a critical signaling node driving various conditions in immunology and neurology. Because of bexobrutideg's ability to eliminate both the kinase and scaffolding functions of BTK across immune cell types, it has the potential for improved efficacy and durability in these diseases.

Arthur T. Sands, MD, PhD, President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Nurix Therapeutics, said, “We believe Roche is the ideal partner to help translate the promise of targeted protein degradation into meaningful impact for patients worldwide. As a single agent, bexobrutideg has shown highly promising results in B cell malignancy clinical trials to date and we can now rapidly expand our phase 3 program enhanced by Roche’s global reach. We are also excited to explore combination regimens utilising selected agents from Roche’s portfolio of successful B-cell malignancy drugs. In addition, collaborating with Roche uniquely enables our ability to extend the cross-therapeutic opportunity of bexobrutideg in immunology and neurology.”