Roche enters global collaboration with Nurix Therapeutics to jointly develop and commercialise BTK degrader bexobrutideg across blood cancers, immunology and neurology

Roche has recently entered into an exclusive licensing and collaboration agreement with Nurix Therapeutics, under which the two companies will work together to co-develop and co-commercialise bexobrutideg, Nurix’s investigational BTK degrader. The partnership is built around a clinical development plan reaching across B-cell malignancies, immunology, and neurology. Bexobrutideg sits naturally alongside Roche’s existing haematology strengths while creating cross-therapeutic possibilities that extend the pipeline’s scope into two additional disease areas.

Despite meaningful advances with BTK inhibitors and other treatments, patients living with B-cell driven malignancies continue to face considerable unmet need. In haematology, a significant proportion of those with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia eventually experience disease progression brought on by acquired resistance mutations, incomplete pathway suppression, or tolerability issues that prevent sustained use, leaving few options once relapse occurs.

BTK-targeting therapies have become one of the most prominent drug classes within the growing non-Hodgkin lymphoma and CLL markets. The combined market is projected to reach 41 billion dollars by 2031, with BTK inhibitors anticipated to remain the leading class at around 19 billion dollars. Growth is particularly pronounced in CLL, where the market is forecast to climb from 12 billion dollars in 2024 to 16 billion dollars by 2035.

An oral targeted BTK degrader, bexobrutideg is planned to enter a Phase 3 clinical trial in the summer of 2026 for the second-line treatment of CLL. Clinical data gathered to date suggest it carries the potential to emerge as a best-in-class option, offering greater efficacy and a more favourable tolerability profile than established therapies, while also addressing the resistance mechanisms that continue to limit current standard-of-care BTK inhibitors. The collaboration presents a distinct opportunity to build on Roche’s already formidable malignant haematology portfolio.

“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,” said Levi Garraway, Roche Chief Medical Officer and Head of Global Product Development.

“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,” said Arthur T. Sands, M.D., Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Nurix Therapeutics.

Although BTK has long been established as a validated target in B-cell malignancies, it also serves as a pivotal signalling node across a range of conditions in immunology and neurology. Bexobrutideg’s capacity to eliminate both the kinase and scaffolding functions of BTK across immune cell types positions it as a therapy with the potential for improved efficacy and longer-lasting benefit in these disease areas.

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Related Topics and Keywords

BTK degrader bexobrutideg, Nurix Therapeutics, Roche