EraCal Therapeutics grants license to Novo Nordisk

Schlieren ZH/Bagsværd – EraCal Therapeutics has granted the rights to its active ingredient for controlling appetite and obesity to the Danish pharmaceutical manufacturer Novo Nordisk. The agreement provides for payments of up to EUR 235 million plus shares in the sale of a commercial product.

EraCal Therapeutics has signed a cooperation and license agreement with the Danish pharmaceutical manufacturer Novo Nordisk. According to a press release issued by the Schlieren-based biotech start-up, it provides for the further development and commercialization of EraCal's active ingredient for metabolic diseases, in particular obesity.

Under the terms of the agreement, Novo Nordisk will have exclusive rights to develop and commercialize this novel mechanism of action discovered with EraCal's platform technology. In return, EraCal is entitled to upfront payments and development and commercialization milestones of up to EUR 235 million. In addition, there are further license fees from the sale of a marketed product.

"EraCal Therapeutics has a unique approach to drug discovery for obesity and other metabolic diseases," Dr. Bei Zhang, CVP and Head of Diabetes, Obesity and MASH Therapeutics at Novo Nordisk, is quoted as saying about his company's motivation. It wants to "leverage the value of the EraCal platform and discover innovative medicines for people living with obesity".

Ann Clare Kessler, President of the EraCal Board of Directors, believes Novo Nordisk is the perfect partner "to test molecules from EraCal that we believe have a unique mechanism to control body weight". It is an honor for the EraCal team, led by CEO Josua Jordi and COO Simon Breitler, that Novo Nordisk is further developing these molecules.

EraCal Therapeutics was founded as a spin-off from the University of Zurich and Harvard University and is a member of the Bio-Technopark Schlieren-Zurich. ce/mm

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