Novo partners with Ascendis to create monthly GLP-1

Novo Nordisk has taken a significant step in strengthening its leadership in the incretin market by partnering with Ascendis Pharma. This collaboration, announced on Monday, focuses on developing long-lasting metabolic disease medications, particularly a GLP-1 receptor agonist for type 2 diabetes and obesity, which can be administered monthly. Additionally, Novo Nordisk has secured an exclusive product-by-product license for cardiovascular disease treatments.

Brian Vandahl, Senior Vice President of global research technologies at Novo Nordisk, highlighted the societal and individual benefits of therapies that require less frequent dosing. Ascendis will utilize its TransCon Carrier and Linker technologies to advance candidates with sustained-release and prodrug characteristics. Specifically for the GLP-1 program, Ascendis is set to receive up to $285 million in upfront payments and milestones related to development and regulatory achievements. Further financial incentives include additional sales milestones and tiered royalties.

Novo Nordisk will finance the early development stages of each product, as well as the clinical development, manufacturing, and commercialization processes. The agreement also allows the Danish pharmaceutical company to extend any metabolic disease candidate into other therapeutic fields.

Under the terms of the deal, Ascendis could earn up to $77.5 million in development and regulatory milestones for each metabolic or cardiovascular disease program, in addition to sales milestones and tiered royalties. The collaboration is expected to finalize before the end of the year.

This announcement comes just days before Novo Nordisk is set to release its third-quarter earnings, which include the latest sales figures of its popular GLP-1 agonist. Given that the company missed revenue expectations in the previous quarter for its drugs Ozempic and Wegovy (semaglutide), analysts are keenly observing these earnings. This situation is further compounded by Eli Lilly's recent market challenges after its own sales figures fell short of estimates.

In summary, Novo Nordisk's partnership with Ascendis Pharma represents a strategic move to develop innovative treatments for metabolic and cardiovascular diseases, with the potential for significant financial and therapeutic benefits. The deal underscores Novo Nordisk's commitment to advancing its leadership in the incretin market while addressing the need for more convenient treatment options for patients.