Novo Nordisk Bets Big on AI-Powered Pill Conversions
Novo Nordisk has partnered with Copenhagen-based Orbis Medicines in a deal worth up to $1.4 billion.
The collaboration aims to convert injectable cardiometabolic drugs into oral versions using Orbis's AI platform, which designs macrocycles, ring-shaped molecules that can reach disease targets standard small molecule pills cannot.
Orbis claims its macrocycles have already achieved up to 18% oral bioavailability in preclinical testing, a significant improvement over the usual under 2% of injectable drugs that make it past the digestive system.
The deal also includes an undisclosed equity investment by Novo in Orbis. This is not the first time companies are exploring the potential of macrocyclic peptides; Johnson and Johnson and Merck have already approved oral versions this year, while others like Novartis and Boehringer Ingelheim have signed similar deals.