Novo Nordisk and Gensaic partner to develop targeted cardiometabolic therapies

DENMARK – Novo Nordisk has partnered with AI-driven biotech company Gensaic in a US $354 million deal to develop precision therapies for cardiometabolic diseases.

The agreement, announced on March 3, aims to improve tissue-targeted drug delivery using Gensaic’s AI-powered ligand discovery platform, FORGE.

While the companies have not disclosed financial specifics or the exact conditions they will target, the collaboration could enhance drug effectiveness while reducing side effects.

Advancing precision drug delivery

One of the biggest challenges in drug development is targeting specific tissues. Many therapies circulate throughout the body, leading to unintended effects on healthy organs.

Novo Nordisk and Gensaic seek to overcome this issue by delivering drugs directly to affected tissues, improving efficacy and safety.

Gensaic’s FORGE platform combines AI-driven protein design with laboratory-based protein evolution to identify ligands—molecules that bind to specific biological targets.

These ligands act as carriers, guiding therapeutic molecules like small interfering RNA (siRNA) to precise locations in the body.

siRNA is commonly used to regulate gene expression, making it a valuable tool in treating genetic and metabolic disorders.

Tissue targeting: The next frontier

While liver-targeted therapies are already available, expanding this technology to other organs has been difficult.

Gensaic’s AI-driven approach may open new possibilities for targeting heart, muscle, or pancreatic tissues, which are key in cardiometabolic diseases like diabetes, obesity, and heart failure.

Several biotech companies are also working on tissue-specific drug delivery. Alnylam Pharmaceuticals has developed GalNAc conjugates like Amvuttra (vutrisiran) to deliver RNA-based drugs directly to liver cells.

Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals has advanced its TRiM platform to extend RNAi therapy delivery beyond the liver to the lungs and muscles.

Novo Nordisk strengthens its cardiometabolic leadership

Novo Nordisk is already a dominant player in the cardiometabolic sector, known for its diabetes and obesity treatments like Ozempic and Wegovy.

The company has actively pursued new partnerships to maintain its leadership in innovative drug development.

In September 2024, Novo signed a US $600 million deal with NanoVation to develop genetic medicines for rare and cardiometabolic diseases.

This agreement included access to NanoVation’s lipid nanoparticle (lcLNP) technology, which helps deliver RNA-based treatments beyond the liver.