Novo Nordisk and Deep Apple Therapeutics Announce $812M Collaboration to Develop Oral Small Molecule Therapies Targeting Novel Non-Incretin GPCR for Cardiometabolic Diseases

June 11,South San Francisco, California – Deep Apple Therapeutics announced a research collaboration and global exclusive licensing agreement with Novo Nordisk to discover, develop, and commercialize novel oral small-molecule drugs targeting new non-intestinal mechanisms for cardiometabolic diseases, including obesity.Insulinotropic GPCR Target. (New Frontier! $52 Million Series A Financing to Develop GPCR Drugs Using Machine Learning）

According to the terms of the agreement, Deep Apple will use its proprietary drug discovery platform to discover and optimize compounds. This platform combines machine learning-driven virtual screening with cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) supported structural biology to significantly enhance the speed, quality, and novelty of potential lead compound generation and optimization.

This target is a non-enteric insulinotropic G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR), which is highly suitable for Deep Apple's platform. This platform captures the kinetics and motion of GPCRs and other proteins in different conformations to reveal new pockets that can dock with Deep Apple's proprietary virtual library.

Novo Nordisk will obtain global exclusive rights to develop, manufacture, and commercialize compounds and products for all indications. The two companies will collaborate on the research program and transfer the project to Novo Nordisk immediately before the IND-enabling studies.

Deep Apple Therapeutics is eligible to receive upfront payments, research funding, and milestone payments from Novo Nordisk. In total, Deep Apple Therapeutics could be eligible for up to $812 million in payments, as well as potential royalties on any product sales resulting from the collaboration.

Spiros Liras, Ph.D., CEO of Deep Apple Therapeutics and Venture Partner at Apple Tree Partners, stated:"Novo Nordisk is a long-standing global leader in providing transformative treatments for cardiometabolic diseases, and the Deep Apple team is energized by the opportunity to collaborate with them. This program highlights our platform's ability to identify potent novel leads within months, and the collaboration with Novo Nordisk will enable us to advance a first-in-class non-incretin program targeting cardiometabolic diseases."

Jacob Sten-Petersen, Senior Vice President of Diabetes, Obesity and MASH Treatment at Novo Nordisk, stated:"Novo Nordisk is developing a series of potential oral medications targeting cardiometabolic diseases, covering different therapeutic approaches and targets, as we understand that people with these conditions have varying needs and preferences. We look forward to further exploring this new target based on Deep Apple Therapeutics' AI platform and expertise in small molecule drug discovery."