Flagship Pioneering, Metaphore Biotechnologies Strike Deal with Novo Nordisk to Develop High-End Obesity Treatments

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Flagship Pioneering and Metaphore Biotechnologies, a Flagship-founded biotech company, announced a partnership with Novo Nordisk to develop at least two advanced therapeutics for obesity management. As part of the collaboration, Metaphore will provide its MIMIC platform, which works to design multitarget therapeutics, particularly targeting the GLP-1 receptor, with the goal of creating long-acting agents requiring infrequent dosing. Once the programs move into clinical studies, Novo Nordisk will take the lead going forward. Under terms of the deal, Novo Nordisk can provide up to $600 million in upfront, development, and commercial milestone payments, also including potential royalties upon product sales. Further, Novo Nordisk will support R&D costs and possibly help with future financing rounds for Metaphore.¹

“Through our collaboration with Metaphore we will apply a novel machine learning approach to obesity management, an area that continues to need more innovation,” said Uli Stilz, head, Novo Nordisk Bio Innovation Hub, in a press release. “Metaphore’s platform aims to mimic the interactions between molecules with impressive accuracy by capturing their natural dynamics at the point of interface, potentially leading to therapeutics that require infrequent dosing. Our strategic framework with Flagship Pioneering continues to illustrate the value of partnerships in bringing forward disruptive technologies for therapeutic areas with unmet need.”

The FDA first approved Ozempic, Novo Nordisk’s GLP-1 receptor agonist to improve glycemic control in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus in 2017.² Additionally, the FDA also approved Wegovy in 2021, which supports patients with obesity or overweight with at least one weight-related condition for chronic weight management.³

“Working with Novo Nordisk is a significant opportunity to apply our MIMIC platform in one of the most exciting areas of drug development and with one of the most experienced drug development teams working in obesity,” said Lovisa Afzelius, origination partner, Flagship Pioneering, co-founder, CEO, Metaphore, in the press release. “This collaboration could further validate our unique ability to program function into therapeutic molecules with the MIMIC platform to enhance efficacy, extend durability, and optimize manufacturing for a single therapeutic addressing multiple obesity-related targets, including but not limited to the GLP-1 receptor.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, obesity prevalence in the United States from 2017-2020 was 41.9%. From 1999-2020, obesity rates increased from approximately 30.5% to 41.9%. Obesity and its related conditions become more common with older age groups, with estimated related medical costs equaling close to $173 billion in 2019.⁴

“We are thrilled to be working with Metaphore Biotechnologies in partnership with Novo Nordisk to leverage Metaphore’s pioneering MIMIC platform technology to potentially advance therapeutic options for people living with obesity,” said Paul Biondi, president, Pioneering Medicines, executive partner, Flagship Pioneering, in the press release. “With three research collaborations underway with Novo Nordisk, we are demonstrating why this novel innovation supply chain partnership that draws on the breadth and depth of expertise and experience across Novo Nordisk, Pioneering Medicines, and Flagship’s bioplatform companies represents a bigger leap in how we partner in biopharma.”

References

1. Flagship Pioneering and Metaphore Biotechnologies Announce Research Collaboration with Novo Nordisk to Develop Next-Generation Therapeutics for Obesity Management. Metaphore. May 9, 2024. Accessed May 9, 2024. https://metaphorebio.com/news/flagship-pioneering-and-metaphore-biotechnologies-announce-research-collaboration-with-novo-nordisk-to-develop-next-generation-therapeutics-for-obesity-management

2. Ozempic® (semaglutide) approved in the US. Novo Nordisk. December 5, 2017. Accessed May 9, 2024. https://www.novonordisk.com/content/nncorp/global/en/news-and-media/news-and-ir-materials/news-details.html?id=712#

3. FDA Approves New Drug Treatment for Chronic Weight Management, First Since 2014. FDA. June 4, 2021. Accessed May 9, 2024. https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-approves-new-drug-treatment-chronic-weight-management-first-2014

4. Adult Obesity Facts. CDC. Accessed May 9, 2024. https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/adult.html