At the center of the licensing deal is an NLRP3 inhibitor that has shown “encouraging efficacy in acute inflammation models,” according to TransThera, indicating its potential in various metabolic and inflammatory diseases.
Neurocrine is joining the gold rush of companies finding assets in China, licensing an NLRP3 inhibitor in a deal with the Nanjing-based TransThera Sciences.
Under the terms of the agreement, TransThera will receive an upfront payment along with R&D and sales milestones that could total $881.5 million, the company revealed in a press release Monday.
The deal gives Neurocrine rights outside of greater China—including mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwain and Macao—to TransThera’s portfolio of NLRP3 inhibitors. While the company’s pipeline only lists one candidate, called TT-02332, in that portfolio, TransThera’s release suggests more than one molecule available for licensing.
Under the terms of the deal, Neurocrine and TransThera will develop NLRP3 inhibitors for “multiple diseases.” What specific indications could be targeted using the molecule or molecules were not revealed. However, TransThera said, “TT-02332 has shown encouraging efficacy in acute inflammation models, indicating its potential application in various metabolic and inflammatory diseases.”
NLRP3 proteins are involved in the inflammasome, an innate cellular response to infection that promotes inflammation. Overactive activation of proteins in the inflammasome pathway are implicated in a number of diseases, including diabetes, atherosclerosis and Alzheimer’s disease.
Neurocrine is on the upswing, recently announcing total sales of $790 million for the third quarter of 2025, a 28% year-over-year growth. However, the company is relying almost exclusively on one asset and might be looking to broaden its pipeline. In Q3, $687 million of its Neurocrine’s income came from sales of Ingrezza, its treatment for the movement disorder tardive dyskinesia, as well as chorea associated with Huntington’s disease.
Rounding out Neurocrine’s sales was Crenessity, its treatment for congenital adrenal hyperplasia, which reeled in $98 million.
Neurocrine made another move to diversify its assets earlier this year, grabbing the depression treatment osavampator from its long-term partner Takeda. That molecule scored a major win in a Phase II trial in 2024, significantly easing symptoms of major depressive disorder in comparison to placebo.
