Novo Nordisk signs USD2.1b licensing deal for Omeros rare-disease drug
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The news: Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk has agreed to a licensing deal for the US based Omeros’ experimental drug being developed to treat rare blood and kidney disorders.
The numbers: A statement released on Wednesday says that Omeros is eligible receive up to a total of USD2.1 billion ($3.22 billion) under the licensing deal, including a USD340 million upfront payment and near-term milestone payments.
The context: In March, Omeros began late-stage trials studying the drug, Zaltenibart, for paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria, or PNH, a rare blood disorder in which part of the immune system attacks and damages the red blood cells and platelets. Zaltenibart has shown multiple potential advantages over other alternative pathway inhibitors in development or on the market, and it has been well tolerated and demonstrated an acceptable safety profile across all clinical trials to date, the companies said.
Novo said it plans to start late-stage clinical trials for the Omeros drug in PNH in Q4 2025, after the deal closes.
Earlier this month, Novo agreed to buy US biotech Akero Therapeutics for USD54 ($81.77) per share in cash, coming to USD4.7 billion upon closing, in a deal that will help the Danish drugmaker expand beyond obesity drugs.
What they said: “Zaltenibart has a novel mode of action that could offer several advantages over other treatments for complement-mediated diseases,” said Martin Holst Lange, chief scientific officer and executive vice president of Research & Development at Novo Nordisk. “Novo Nordisk is in a strong position to build on the work done by Omeros to maximise the value of this asset and develop zaltenibart into a differentiated and potentially best-in-class treatment approach for a number of rare blood and kidney disorders.”
The source: Novo Nordisk
