Obesity fighting success fuels Novo Nordisk’s bet on gene-editing technology in pharma

Date:

Share post:

Capitalising on strong demand for its obesity therapies, Novo Nordisk‘s growing appetite for deals has fuelled a bet on a U.S. gene-editing company called Life Edit Therapeutics.

The Danish drugmaker’s collaboration with Durham, North Carolina-based Life Edit Therapeutics – owned by ElevateBio, a cell and gene therapy company in Waltham – is focused on up to seven programs for rare genetic disorders as well as cardiometabolic diseases.

At the heart of the tie-up is Life Edit’s technology, called base editing, which is designed to make precise changes to the human genome by tweaking one base – or letter – into a different one without affecting other letters.

Single-letter mistakes, called point mutations, can give rise to genetic diseases.

The Novo deal comes as the company basks in the success of its incredibly popular weight-loss drug Wegovy, for which demand has far outstripped supply.

At the heart of the tie-up is Life Edit’s technology, called base editing, which is designed to make precise changes to the human genome by tweaking one base – or letter – into a different one without affecting other letters.

Single-letter mistakes, called point mutations, can give rise to genetic diseases.

The Novo deal comes as the company basks in the success of its incredibly popular weight-loss drug Wegovy, for which demand has far outstripped supply.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Current Issue June 2023

Related articles

MHRA grants authorisation for LEO Pharma’s Adtralza 2 mL pen solution

The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has approved the marketing authorisation of Adtralza, a dermatological solution...

Grundon launches maiden UK-wide inhaler recycling programme

Grundon Waste Management has introduced what it claims to be the UK's first verified nationwide inhaler return and...

‘Record fine imposed on hydrocortisone manufacturers for dominant position abuse and 10,000% price increase’

The Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT) has upheld the Competition and Markets Authority’s (CMA) findings against two pharmaceutical manufacturers...

Vision Report: Legal reforms, adequate funding imperative for success of community pharmacy

Achieving the community pharmacy vision necessitates legal adjustments and additional funding beyond recent boosts, the pharmacy vision document...