Novartis has agreed to acquire Excellergy, a biotechnology company developing a novel class of allergy therapeutics, in a transaction with a total potential value of up to $2 billion in upfront and milestone payments.  

Excellergy’s Exl-111 is a trifunctional effector cell response inhibitor (ECRI) designed to disarm allergic effector cells at the source of activation by targeting the IgE axis.  

Exl-111 is currently being evaluated in the Phase I DISARM trial, a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, single and multiple ascending dose trial, with the first subjects dosed in early February 2026. 

“This acquisition validates the transformative potential of our ECRIs and the hard work of the entire Excellergy team. Novartis brings world-class global development capabilities and a proven track record of bringing novel medicines to patients. Together, we will be ideally positioned to realise the full potential of Exl-111 and the broader ECRI pipeline for the millions of patients living with severe, debilitating allergic diseases,” said Todd Zavodnick, Chief Executive Officer of Excellergy. 

“Excellergy adds a differentiated next-generation anti-IgE program that builds on biology Novartis knows well, supported by preclinical evidence and early clinical pharmacokinetic data,” said Fiona Marshall, President of Biomedical Research at Novartis. “Exl-111 is designed to go beyond conventional anti-IgE therapy, with the potential to deliver faster and deeper suppression of IgE signaling as well as improved symptom control. This proposed acquisition strengthens our allergy portfolio and reflects our strategy of advancing innovative bold science to bring meaningful additional benefits to patients.”