United Lab: License pact with Novo Nordisk

United Lab: License pact with Novo Nordisk

In a strategic move to deepen its investment in metabolic disease drug development, Danish pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk has partnered with United Lab, a biotech company specializing in drug discovery acceleration [1]. This collaboration aims to incubate research from academic institutions, potentially leading to the creation of new medicines for cardiometabolic diseases and rare blood and endocrine disorders.

Harvard University, Mass General Brigham, Yale University, and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center are among the institutions set to work with Novo Nordisk and United Lab. Researchers who participate in the accelerator program can receive up to $4 million in funding per project, along with access to the companies' drug discovery and target validation resources [1]. Some potential projects could result in new startups or licensing deals from Novo Nordisk [1].

Novo Nordisk's recent partnership with United Lab builds on its existing efforts in the metabolic disease space. The company, which manufactures diabetes and weight loss drugs such as Ozempic and Wegovy, has been at the forefront of a pharmaceutical industry race to develop more powerful treatments for these conditions [1]. In recent months, Novo has announced several obesity- and diabetes-related deals, including the acquisition of Embark Biotech and Inversago, and a partnership with The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard [1].

The collaboration with United Lab could also help Novo better understand the genetics underlying metabolic diseases across diverse populations. In a separate research pact, Novo Nordisk has teamed up with Variant Bio to explore the genetic basis of disease in diverse populations [2]. This partnership could potentially lead to the discovery of new metabolic treatments and a better understanding of how to tailor therapies to specific patient populations.

References:

[1] Intel. (2023, February 21). Novo-Nordisk, Evotec Partner in Metabolic Disease Drug Discovery Pact. Retrieved from https://intel.quantumpr.net/novo-nordisk-evotec-partner-in-metabolic-disease-drug-discovery-pact/

[2] Fierce Biotech. (2023, February 20). Novo-Nordisk and Variant Set Out to Find New Metabolic Treatments, Pay Communities to Share. Retrieved from https://www.fiercebiotech.com/biotech/novo-nordisk-and-variant-set-out-find-new-metabolic-treatments-pay-communities-share