Novo Nordisk Boosts Specialty R&D With Kidney Disease Deal
Executive Summary
Denmark's diabetes specialty company has linked up with a US biotech to evaluate a lysophosphatidic acid receptor antagonist in diabetic and chronic kidney disease.
Novo Nordisk AS showed its interest in acquiring external research assets by its failed bid for Ablynx NV and that company's blood disorders lead program, earlier this year and, subsequently, the Danish biopharma has not strayed far from its best-selling diabetes and hemophilia sectors when forging new deals, including its latest collaboration, with US biotech Epigen Biosciences.
In a deal worth up to $200m in upfront and milestones to be paid to Epigen, Novo Nordisk has licensed the San Diego, CA-based biotech's LPA1 receptor antagonist, EPGN696, for development in diabetic and chronic kidney disease and other chronic diseases associated with metabolic syndrome. Further, Epigen will also be eligible for tiered royalties and milestones on sales, the companies announced May 23.
EPGN696 appears to be close to Novo Nordisk's current research focus on metabolic diseases that includes obesity as well as diabetes. EPGN696 is an antagonist at the lysophosphatidic acid receptor-1 (LPA1) that is thought to be involved in cell signalling and proliferation, including the formation of excess fibrous connective tissue, in the kidneys and other organs. In preclinical studies, EPGN696 has been found to be orally available and safe and effective in rodent models of kidney disease, by targeting fibrosis, inflammation and growth factor responses, the companies said.
There are a number of subtypes of LSA receptors, that have been implicated in various physiological processes, and the pharmaceutical industry appears to be at an early stage in evaluating candidate products acting through LSA receptor-mediated processes.
According to Informa's Biomedtracker database, Apollo Endosurgery Inc. has lpathomab, a monoclonal antibody, in Phase I studies for neuropathic pain, and preclinical studies for diabetic peripheral neuropathy and spinal cord injury, while Roche has ITMN-10534 in preclinical studies for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.
But the pressure is on to broaden the Danish company's specialty portfolio, particularly because of the pricing squeeze on its marketed insulin products in the US. Novo Nordisk is on the look-out for an acquisition in the rare diseases space, and on assets in diseases adjacent to diabetes, including conditions that affect the liver, kidneys and cardiovascular system, its CEO said earlier this year (see sidebar).
Earlier this month, Novo Nordisk said it had achieved GMP-compliant human embryonic stem cell production as part of an ongoing collaboration with the University of California in San Francisco that might be used in regenerative medicine therapies, including potential in the treatment of diabetes, and in other chronic diseases, such as Parkinson's disease.
And earlier this year, Novo Nordisk strengthened its blood disorders research portfolio by licensing a potential sickle cell compound, EP101, from EpiDestiny Inc., that is moving into Phase II studies. (Also see "Novo Nordisk: Switch To Weekly Ozempic Has Begun, Biopharma M&A Sought" - Scrip, 2 May, 2018.)