Abivax has appointed Michael Nesrallah as its chief commercial officer, putting one of the people who turned Takeda’s Entyvio into a blockbuster in charge of preparations for its own ulcerative colitis launch.
Paris-based Abivax expects to report phase 3 data on obefazimod in ulcerative colitis by mid-2026. With previous studies raising hopes for the small molecule, which selectively upregulates miR-124 in immune cells, the biotech has climbed up analysts’ lists of potential takeover targets. AstraZeneca and Eli Lilly have reportedly shown an interest in buying Abivax, which could command a fee of around $18 billion.
Against that backdrop, Abivax is currently preparing to launch obefazimod itself. Nesrallah will lead the launch preparations and global commercial strategy as Abivax’s chief commercial officer, the company announced in its full-year 2025 earnings release Tuesday.
Jefferies analysts interpreted the appointment as a positive for Abivax: “We view this as strong validation for obe’s launch potential,” the analysts wrote in a note to investors. “Some will debate what this may mean for strategic optionality. We don't think this matters as biotech companies always have to prepare for running their business as a standalone co[mpany]”
Abivax’s new executive spent most of the last decade at Takeda, where he held multiple leadership roles, including U.S. franchise head for the Japanese drugmaker’s inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) business. Nesrallah’s responsibilities at Takeda included expanding access to the ulcerative colitis drug Entyvio and growing its sales, which most recently hit (PDF) 744.5 billion Japanese yen ($4.7 billion) in the first nine months of the company’s fiscal 2025.
Entyvio, an anti-integrin antibody, is just one in a sea of IBD drugs. While the market is fiercely competitive, obefazimod’s mechanism sets it apart from approved and investigational therapies owned by companies including AbbVie, Bristol Myers Squibb, Johnson & Johnson, Lilly and Pfizer.
By hiring Nesrallah, Abivax appears to be stepping up preparations to communicate the differences to patients and physicians, along with laying the broader groundwork for a potential launch.
“Abivax is entering an exciting new chapter, and I’m thrilled to be joining the Company at such a pivotal moment,” Nesrallah said in a statement. “We have a meaningful opportunity ahead to further strengthen our commercial capabilities to prepare for the successful launch of obefazimod, if approved, which has the potential to truly make a difference for patients.”