Exicure, Inc. (NASDAQ: XCUR) has experienced a significant surge in its stock value following the definitive share purchase agreement with South Korean corporation GPCR Therapeutics Inc. As of the latest market update, XCUR shares traded at $13.23, a substantial 27.53% increase, reflecting investor confidence in the acquisition’s potential to strengthen Exicure’s position in the biotechnology sector.
Formalizing the Acquisition and Collaborative Partnership
On January 19, 2025, Exicure finalized the acquisition of all equity securities of GPCR Therapeutics USA Inc., the California-based subsidiary of GPCR Therapeutics Inc. The transaction coincided with the Share Purchase Agreement. Previously, GPCR USA operated as a wholly owned subsidiary. Concurrently, Exicure and GPCR established a License and Collaboration Agreement (L&C Agreement) to develop and commercialize GPCR’s proprietary technologies, patents, and intellectual property.
Financial Implications and Milestone Structure
The L&C Agreement details a structured financial arrangement, including milestone payments from Exicure to GPCR upon achieving predefined objectives in clinical trials, marketing authorizations, and net sales. It also stipulates recurring royalty payments from Exicure to GPCR, based on a minimum of 10% of net sales, as detailed in the agreement. This structure ensures ongoing collaboration and shared financial interest in the successful development and commercialization of the acquired technologies.
Strategic Expansion and Clinical Pipeline Enhancement
This acquisition follows a previous Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) outlining the intended acquisition of GPCR USA, technology transfer, and collaborative research on GPCR Therapeutics’ drug development pipelines. Exicure gains access to key technical personnel and technology related to GPCR Therapeutics’ CXCR4 inhibitor, currently in FDA Phase 2 trials, along with associated patents and intellectual property.
This positions Exicure to advance as a clinical-stage biotech company, leveraging acquired expertise and promising clinical pipelines. GPCR Therapeutics aims to finalize ongoing stem cell mobilizer (SCM) trials for multiple myeloma patients and prepare for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) studies. The target market for the Phase 2 trials is estimated between $1 billion and $2 billion annually.
Market Performance within the Biotechnology Sector
Market data shows XCUR with an ST score of 39 and an SMA200 exceeding 94% within the Biotechnology industry. While demonstrating strong performance, other peer stocks, like MNPR and CMRX, exhibit higher ST scores and SMA200 values above 100%. For a short selection of stocks that may be compared further, see our screener.
