Novo, which is under pressure to diversify and signaled plans to cut jobs back in August, will lay off 400 people as it reallocates resources to more efficiently bring in novel products through both R&D and business development, continuing a deal-making spree that's already under way.

Being able to move therapeutic molecules for diabetes and other metabolic diseases into the CNS is the aim of a research collaboration and option agreement between Novo Nordisk and the six-year-old US biotech, Ossianix.

EXACT-Tx will use funds from a NOK155m private placing to harness ultrasound in precision therapeutic targeting across a variety of indications and product classes.