NanoVation Therapeutics, a Vancouver company co-founded by biotech magnate Pieter Cullis, has struck a partnership with Danish pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk that could be worth up to $800 million.
The two companies will collaborate on the development of gene-editing therapies for certain rare genetic diseases.
Under terms of the deal, Novo Nordisk will get an exclusive license to use NanoVation’s lipid nanoparticle technology for two lead programs, and NanoVation will receive up to US$600 million in cash and milestone payments. NanoVation may also be eligible for tiered royalties on future product sales.
NanoVation Therapeutics developed technology called long-circulating lipid nanoparticle (lcLNP) that overcomes certain barriers to nucleic acid delivery.
Getting nucleic acids – DNA and RNA – into cells for therapeutic purposes can be a real challenge. These large, complex, negatively charged molecules have trouble penetrating cell walls, for one thing. They can also trigger unwanted immune responses and can degrade too quickly before being effective.
NanoVation’s technology overcomes some of these barriers. The company’s technology is essentially a delivery system for genetic medicines. Specifically, NanoVation’s technology overcomes some of the barriers to delivering nucleic acids to target tissues outside the liver (extrahepatic delivery).
“Every genetic drug has a cargo and delivery component, which require dedicated innovation on both,” Karina Thorn, vice president and head of research for Global Nucleic Acid Therapies at Novo Nordisk, said in a press release.
“We look forward to partnering with NanoVation, as the company’s differentiated delivery platform could help Novo Nordisk to advance genetic medicine candidates with curative potential.”
“This agreement with Novo Nordisk and ongoing work with companies in the cell and gene therapy space is validation of the potential of our LNP technologies to enable the next generation of life-changing genetic medicines,” said NanoVation co-founder and CEO Dominik Witzigmann.
“Genetic medicine is at a pivotal moment and this partnership marks a major milestone for NanoVation as an innovator in nucleic acid delivery,” Pieter Cullis, NanoVation’s co-founder and chairman, said in a news release. “By combining NanoVation’s expertise in extrahepatic delivery with Novo Nordisk's expertise in cardiometabolic and rare diseases, we have the potential to create truly transformative therapies.”
Cullis is a pioneer in the use of lipid nanoparticles in nucleic acid-based therapies, such as mRNA vaccines, and has co-founded a number of biotechs, including Acuitas Therapeutics.
