Novo Nordisk Forges Million-Dollar Research Pacts with Flagship-Backed Biotechs for Advanced Cardiometabolic Solutions

In a strategic accord forged in tandem with Flagship Pioneering, Novo Nordisk has entered into substantial research agreements with two Flagship-incubated biotechs—Omega Therapeutics and Cellarity. Each pact carries a substantial potential value of up to $532 million. 

These collaborations are integral components of the broader ecosystem partnership between Flagship and Novo Nordisk’s Bio Innovation Hub, initiated in mid-2022. The overarching objective of this collaboration is the development of a pioneering portfolio of medications targeting cardiometabolic and rare diseases.

Novo Nordisk’s Bio Innovation Hub, spearheaded by Uli Stilz, Ph.D., aspires to generate three to five research initiatives within the initial three years of this partnership. By leveraging Novo’s disease proficiency and technology derived from Flagship’s bioplatform companies, the collaboration seeks to expedite the preclinical development of innovative therapies. Subsequently, Novo Nordisk will have the opportunity to progress these programs into clinical trials.

Under the stipulations of the agreements, Novo Nordisk will shoulder the research and development costs and provide both companies—Omega Therapeutics and Flagship’s Pioneering Medicines—an opportunity to earn up to $532 million in upfront and milestone payments, in addition to tiered royalties.

With Omega Therapeutics, Novo Nordisk is poised to augment its blockbuster obesity franchise by harnessing Omega’s platform. This technology facilitates the design of programmable epigenomic mRNA medicines, precisely targeting and modulating gene expression at the pre-transcriptional level. In contrast to existing weight management therapeutics focusing on appetite regulation, Omega aims to address thermogenesis—a natural metabolic function regulating overall energy balance.

Uli Stilz expressed enthusiasm about pushing scientific boundaries and innovation through collaboration with Omega. He underscored the uniqueness of Omega’s approach, representing a departure from conventional strategies. 

Omega’s platform has already demonstrated proof-of-concept, replicating nature’s control system and is applicable across various disease processes. Currently undergoing a phase 1/2 trial for hepatocellular carcinoma, Omega seeks to extend its platform’s capabilities to control metabolic activity for a more enduring approach to managing obesity.

Simultaneously, Cellarity, the second biotech involved, is endeavoring to formulate a small molecule therapy for metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), a progressive liver disease. 

Formerly identified as nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), MASH lacks an approved treatment, presenting a substantial unmet patient need. Only a handful of investigational treatments have reached phase 3 development, with Madrigal Pharmaceutical’s resmetirom being a frontrunner awaiting FDA decision this spring.

Cellarity’s approach involves amalgamating biology, chemistry, and AI machine learning to comprehend cell behavior. Novo Nordisk had previously enlisted Cellarity in September 2022 to identify novel cell behaviors associated with MASH disease progression. This collaborative effort will be expanded under the current research collaboration, aiming to unlock new insights into cellular dysfunction and facilitate drug development that was historically challenging using traditional methods.

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