Novo Nordisk has entered into a collaboration with Vivtex to develop next-generation oral biologics for the treatment of obesity, diabetes and related comorbidities. Under the agreement, Vivtex will grant Novo access to its proprietary oral drug delivery technologies. In return, Vivtex is eligible to receive up to USD 2.1 billion, including an upfront payment, research funding, milestone payments and future tiered royalties on product sales.

The partnership aims to overcome the challenge of poor gastrointestinal absorption that has traditionally limited biologic drugs to injectable administration. It combines Novo Nordisk's expertise in peptide and protein therapies with Vivtex's platform, which integrates gastrointestinal screening assays, drug delivery technologies and computational modelling to optimise oral bioavailability. Following the research and formulation phase, Novo will assume responsibility for the global development, regulatory activities, manufacturing and commercialisation of any resulting products.

PharmCube's NextBiopharm® database shows that this transaction is tied with a collaboration with Omero's  as Novo's fourth-largest partnership by value. Click here to request a free trial for NextBiopharm®.