AbbVie agreed to license Nxera Pharma’s EP4 receptor agonist program targeting gut inflammation, paying $100 million upfront with up to $1.37 billion in development and commercial milestones. The arrangement centers on a gut-directed mechanism designed to modulate inflammatory signaling in inflammatory bowel disease. The deal is structured through AbbVie’s UK subsidiary, with Nxera handling program transfer under global rights terms described in the report. The total potential value includes the upfront payment plus additional milestone triggers. The move reflects continued big-pharma investment in mechanism-driven IBD pipelines and gut-localized pharmacology as a way to improve efficacy and reduce systemic exposure.