Novartis agreed to acquire Excellergy for up to $2 billion in upfront and milestone payments, adding Excellergy’s next-generation anti-IgE effector cell response inhibitor (ECRI) concept to its immunology platform. The deal targets faster and deeper suppression of IgE signaling by altering how IgE is handled at the receptor level, with Exl-111 currently in Phase 1 testing. Excellergy raised $70 million in a Series A earlier in its lifecycle, and Novartis’ move follows recent anti-IgE consolidation efforts across large pharma. Novartis said Exl-111 is designed to go beyond conventional anti-IgE by neutralizing circulating IgE and down-regulating FcεRI without triggering activation of mast cells and basophils. The acquisition supports Novartis’ effort to protect and extend its allergy franchise as Xolair faces competitive pressure from biosimilars.