Novo Nordisk and Ascendis form $285m partnership for monthly GLP-1 drug

Novo Nordisk has entered into a collaboration with Ascendis Pharma to develop therapies aimed at treating metabolic and cardiovascular diseases. One of the key projects in this partnership is the development of a once-monthly GLP-1 receptor agonist, which will primarily address type 2 diabetes and obesity.

Ascendis Pharma stands to gain up to $285 million through upfront payments, development milestones, and regulatory milestone payments for its lead GLP-1 program. Additionally, Ascendis will receive sales-based milestone payments and tiered royalties based on the global net sales of the products developed under this program.

The agreement grants Novo Nordisk an exclusive worldwide license to utilize Ascendis’ TransCon technology platform for the development, manufacturing, and commercialization of proprietary products targeting metabolic diseases. Furthermore, Novo Nordisk has secured product-by-product exclusive licenses in the field of cardiovascular diseases. Importantly, Novo Nordisk will also have the exclusive rights to expand any resulting metabolic disease treatments into other therapeutic areas.

For any additional products targeting metabolic or cardiovascular diseases that emerge from this collaboration, Ascendis Pharma could receive up to $77.5 million in development and regulatory milestone payments, along with sales-based milestone payments and tiered royalties on global net sales.

According to the terms laid out in the agreement, Ascendis is tasked with conducting the early development of products utilizing the TransCon technology. Novo Nordisk, on the other hand, will shoulder the costs of early development and take responsibility for the clinical development, regulatory processes, commercial manufacturing, and commercialization efforts.

Ascendis Pharma claims that its TransCon technology merges established biological principles with the advantages of prodrug and sustained-release technologies. This combination is expected to potentially optimize therapeutic outcomes.

Brian Vandahl, Novo Nordisk's senior vice president of global research technologies, emphasized the significance of developing therapies that require less frequent administration. He stated that such advancements could benefit both society and individual patients and noted that this is a key focus area for Novo Nordisk. Vandahl expressed eagerness to collaborate with Ascendis in exploring the potential of TransCon technology to reduce the dosing frequency of GLP-1 receptor agonists and other treatments for cardiometabolic diseases.

This deal follows closely on the heels of another significant partnership for Novo Nordisk. Less than two months ago, the company entered a multi-year collaboration with NanoVation Therapeutics aimed at advancing genetic medicines for cardiometabolic and rare diseases. Earlier in the year, in February, Novo Nordisk also established a collaboration and licensing agreement with Neomorph to discover and develop molecular glue degraders for cardiometabolic and rare diseases. Additionally, in January, Novo announced two research collaborations with Omega Therapeutics and Cellarity to develop new treatment approaches for cardiometabolic diseases.

These strategic partnerships highlight Novo Nordisk’s commitment to expanding its therapeutic arsenal for metabolic and cardiovascular diseases, leveraging innovative technologies and collaborative efforts to enhance treatment options and improve patient outcomes.