The Life Sciences team guided Septerna on an exclusive global collaboration and license agreement to discover, develop and commercialize oral small molecule medicines for obesity, type 2 diabetes and other cardiometabolic diseases with Novo Nordisk. The companies will initially commence four development programmes for potential small molecule therapies directed to one or more select G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) targets, including the GLP-1, GIP and glucagon receptors. Under the terms of the agreement, Septerna is eligible to receive approximately $2.2 billion from Novo Nordisk across an upfront payment and research, development, and commercial milestone payments. This includes more than $200 million in upfront and near-term milestone payments. Septerna is also eligible to receive tiered royalties on global net sales of marketed products.
Septerna, Inc. is a biotechnology company pioneering a new era of GPCR drug discovery powered by its proprietary Native Complex Platform". Its industrial-scale platform aims to unlock the full potential of GPCR therapies and has led to the discovery and development of its deep pipeline of oral small molecule product candidates focused initially on treating patients in three therapeutic areas: endocrinology, immunology and inflammation, and metabolic diseases. Septerna was launched by preeminent drug discovery company builders and scientific leaders in the biochemistry, structural biology, and pharmacology of GPCRs.
The Goodwin team was led by Noelle Dubiansky and Zhenghui (Alan) Wang and consisted of Elliot Horlick, with invaluable support from Deepa Rich, Adam Johnson and Amanda Gill, Susan Lee, Catherine McCarty and Carl Morales, Robert Frederickson and Alexandra Valenti, Daniel Karelitz, and Arman Oruc, Brady Cummins, and Paul Jin.
For more information on the deal, please read the press release and coverage in Fierce Biotech, STAT News, and Reuters.