Novo Nordisk Enters $2.7 Billion Collaboration to Advance Cardiometabolic Drug Discovery with Valo Health

▎WuXi

Edited by Kant Content Team

Novo Nordisk and Valo Health today announced that they have reached a cooperation agreement totaling $2.7 billion,Will discover and develop innovative therapies for cardiometabolic diseases based on Valo's large human datasets and artificial intelligence (AI)-driven computations.

The collaboration between the two companies will leverage the capabilities of Valo's Opal computational platform,Including access to real-world patient data, AI-supported small molecule discovery, and the Biowire human tissue modeling platform., aiming to accelerate the process of drug discovery and development.

Novo Nordisk and Valo's collaboration will leverage key joint capabilities in human data and genetics to develop innovative therapies for cardiometabolic diseases. Valo can identify and validate novel preclinical drug targets, develop candidate drugs targeting these targets, and help predict the safety and efficacy of compounds. In addition to target discovery and validation, the collaboration between Novo Nordisk and Valo is expected to utilize the Opal computational platform to discover and develop three preclinical drug discovery programs for cardiovascular diseases.

Image Source: 123RF

According to the terms of the agreement,Valo will receive an upfront payment and potential near-term milestones totaling $60 million and is eligible for milestones across up to 11 programs totaling $2.7 billion., plus R&D funding and other expenses.

This agreement marks Novo Nordisk's renewed focus in the cardiometabolic field.Novo Nordisk acquired Canadian biotech company Inversago Pharma last month, which is researching diabetes, obesity, and other metabolic diseases. In May this year, it partnered with startup LifeEdit Therapeutics to jointly develop gene-editing therapies for rare diseases and cardiometabolic conditions.