Novo Nordisk and Korro Bio Collaborate on Cardiometabolic Treatments

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Korro Bio, a Massachusetts-based biopharmaceutical company that develops genetic medicines based on RNA editing, announced on Sept. 16, 2024 that it is collaborating with Novo Nordisk to develop targets to treat cardiometabolic diseases, such as obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases. Novo Nordisk will use Korro’s Oligonucleotide Promoted Editing of RNA (OPERA) platform as part of the collaboration.

According to Korro, “RNA editing can specifically and efficiently modulate protein function, potentially enabling access to previously undruggable targets for cardiometabolic diseases” (1). The company’s OPERA program uses “an oligonucleotide to co-opt a natural process in the human body to make changes in mRNA [messenger RNA] encoding the protein, leaving the DNA genome unaltered, thus aiming to bring a pharmacologically titratable approach using genetic medicine” (1).

“Novo Nordisk is a global leader in the discovery, development and commercialization of therapies for cardiometabolic diseases,” said Dr. Ram Aiyar, CEO and president of Korro, in a company press release (1). “This collaboration enables us to use our proprietary technologies and capabilities in RNA editing to develop potential new treatments for people living with chronic diseases without impacting our internal pipeline focus. This partnership will expand the opportunity to potentially bring targeted RNA editing to diseases with high prevalence.”

“We are excited to partner with Korro on its differentiated RNA editing platform as we explore novel technologies to address the unmet need for people living with cardiometabolic diseases,” said Uli Stilz, head of Novo Nordisk’s Bio Innovation Hub, in the Korro press release. “Korro’s platform aims to enable a titratable, transient, and highly specific editing approach at the RNA level which has the potential to transform care. With our deep knowledge of cardiometabolic diseases and Korro’s unique approach, we have the opportunity to establish a new paradigm of treatment modalities for cardiometabolic diseases by addressing otherwise undruggable targets.”

Korro is eligible to receive up to $530 million in upfront, development, and commercial milestone payments as part of the deal. The company will also receive tiered royalties and R&D funding. Preclinical development will be handled by Korro with Novo Nordisk advancing the treatment through clinical studies.

This collaboration adds onto Novo Nordisk’s recent plans to increase treatments for these types of diseases. In June 2024, the company announced it was expanding its facility in Clayton, NC, investing $4.1 billion (approximately DKK27 billion) in a fill/finish manufacturing facility to increase its production of current and future injectable therapeutics for treating obesity and other serious chronic diseases. The investment is one of the largest the company has made and will include 1.4 million square feet of production space for aseptic manufacturing and finished production processes, doubling the combined square footage at the company’s existing facilities in North Carolina. The new facility is expected to be completed in 2029 (2).

“It took us a century to reach 40 million patients, but through this expansion and continued investment in our global production, we’re building Novo Nordisk’s ability to serve millions more people living with serious chronic diseases in the future,” said Lars Fruergaard Jørgensen, president and CEO of Novo Nordisk, in the press release (2). “This is yet another real signal of our efforts to scale up our production to meet the growing global need for our life-changing medicines and the patients of tomorrow.”

References

1. Korro Bio. Korro Bio Announces Collaboration with Novo Nordisk to Develop Two Therapeutic Candidates. Press Release. Sept. 16, 2024.
2. Novo Nordisk. Novo Nordisk Announces 4.1 Billion USD Investment to Expand US Manufacturing Capacity. Press Release. June 24, 2024.