Belgian biopharmaceutical company UCB announced on Friday that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Neurona Therapeutics. The transaction, with a total potential value of up to $1.15 billion, aims to incorporate Neurona's leading regenerative neural cell therapy, NRTX-1001, into UCB's epilepsy product portfolio.

Under the terms of the agreement, UCB will make an upfront payment of $650 million, with the potential for up to an additional $500 million in milestone payments. The deal is expected to be finalized by the end of the second quarter of 2026, pending standard closing conditions, including antitrust approvals.

Neurona Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biotherapeutics company focused on developing regenerative cell therapies for neurological disorders such as epilepsy. Its lead asset, NRTX-1001, is a GABAergic interneuron cell therapy derived from pluripotent stem cells. It is administered via a single, minimally invasive direct injection into the brain and is designed to repair and rebalance hyperactive neural circuits. The therapy is currently in a Phase I/II clinical trial for drug-resistant medial temporal lobe epilepsy and has received Regenerative Medicine Advanced Therapy (RMAT) designation from the FDA and PRIME designation from the EMA.

The CEO of UCB stated that this acquisition marks the company's strategic expansion into the field of regenerative medicine, continuing UCB's three-decade-long tradition of innovation in epilepsy treatment.

UCB confirmed that the transaction does not impact its 2026 revenue guidance, which still forecasts revenue growth in the high-single-digit to low-double-digit percentage range on a constant currency basis.