Ascendis Pharma has granted Novo Nordisk an exclusive worldwide license to its TransCon technology platform for the development, manufacturing and commercialization of Novo’s products in metabolic diseases, including obesity and type 2 diabetes. The deal also covers an exclusive license in cardiovascular diseases granted on a product-by-product basis.
As part of the licensing deal, Ascendis will be eligible to receive up to $285 million in upfront, development, and regulatory milestone payments for the lead program covered by the collaboration, a once-monthly formulation of a GLP-1 receptor agonist that will initially target obesity and type 2 diabetes.
In addition, Ascendis will be eligible to receive up to $77.5 million in milestone payments for each additional metabolic or cardiovascular disease product candidate, as well as sales-based payments and tiered royalties for all programs that make it to the market.
“We are pleased to collaborate with Novo Nordisk, an established expert in metabolic diseases, to maximize the potential of TransCon products for helping patients,” said Jan Mikkelsen, President and Chief Executive Officer of Ascendis Pharma. “The agreement with Novo Nordisk reflects our Vision 2030 to create value in additional large therapeutic areas outside endocrinology rare disease through collaborations with established global leaders.”
Ascendis will be responsible for the early development of product candidates using the TransCon platform. Novo Nordisk will cover the costs of early development, and take over clinical development, regulatory, manufacturing and commercialization activities.
The TransCon (transient conjugation) platform enables the temporary modification of an existing drug, linking it to a carrier molecule that protects the drug and releases it over time. This technology makes it possible to reduce dosing frequency up to six months while ensuring that the drug’s effects stay stable over time.
This new deal with Ascendis is Novo’s second try at developing a once-monthly formulation of a GLP-1 receptor agonist. In August this year, Novo discontinued a once-monthly drug candidate targeting both GLP-1 and GIP receptors after obtaining unsatisfactory data from a phase 1 study.
“Developing potential therapies that can be administered less frequently could benefit societies as well as individual patients, and it is a clear focus area for Novo Nordisk,” said Brian Vandahl, Senior Vice President of Global Research Technologies at Novo Nordisk. “We look forward to working with Ascendis to explore the potential of the TransCon technology platform to reduce the dosing frequency of GLP-1 receptor agonists and other treatments for cardiometabolic diseases.”
