Novo Nordisk partners with Vivtex in up to $2.1 billion deal for oral obesity drugs

Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk has partnered with U.S.-based Vivtex Corp in a deal worth up to $2.1 billion to develop next-generation oral drugs for obesity and diabetes, the companies said on Wednesday.
Under the partnership, the privately held company will license some of its oral drug-delivery technology, while Novo Nordisk will take charge of global development and commercialization.
Here are some details:
•Novo Nordisk will make an undisclosed upfront payment to Vivtex under the deal, besides milestone payments and royalties on future product sales.
•The partnership aims to make oral forms of biologic drugs that would otherwise be given as injections by improving how they are absorbed in the gut.
•Vivtex’s platform uses gut-screening tests, delivery technologies and AI tools to help make biologic drugs work as pills, the companies said.
•Novo currently offers GLP-1 drugs for obesity and type 2 diabetes, including Wegovy, Ozempic and the oral diabetes drug Rybelsus.
•In January, the Danish drugmaker launched Wegovy pill, the world’s first oral drug for obesity, in the U.S.