Novo Nordisk pays US$2m for access to Genmab technology
Two Danish firms will develop bispecific antibodies not related to cancer
Novo Nordisk has bought access to Genmab's DuoBody technology platform to develop antibody candidates for two therapeutic programmes.
The Danish biotechnology firm says neither of the bispecific antibodies are related to cancer therapeutics, but did not specify what area they are targeting.
Under the deal Novo Nordisk will pay US$2m upfront to Genmab.
Genmab could also earn up to $500m in milestones if Novo Nordisk ultimately decides to keep an exclusive licence, or $400m if it decides to follow a non-exclusive route. In addition, Genmab will be entitled to single-digit royalties on sales of any commercialised products.
'Our proprietary DuoBody technology can be used to create bispecific antibodies that target a wide variety of disease areas. Today’s agreement with Novo Nordisk is an example of how we can leverage access to our unique state-of-the art antibody expertise and collaborations to generate diverse revenue streams in areas beyond cancer,' said Jan van de Winkel, Chief Executive of Genmab.
The DuoBody platform is Genmab’s proprietary technology platform for the discovery and development of bispecific antibodies.
Bispecific antibodies bind to two different sites either on the same, or on different targets, which can improve binding specificity and efficacy in inactivating disease targets. Bispecific antibodies generated with the DuoBody platform may improve antibody therapy of cancer, autoimmune, and infectious and central nervous system disease.
Genmab says DuoBody molecules are unique because they combine the benefits of bispecificity with the strengths of conventional antibodies, which allows them to be administered and dosed the way other antibody therapeutics are.