Novo Nordisk isn’t done with the RNA deals, this time penning a $530 million biobucks deal to work with Korro Bio on two cardiometabolic-related targets.
Korro’s Oligonucleotide Promoted Editing of RNA (OPERA) platform is designed to use an oligonucleotide to “co-opt a natural process in the human body to make changes in mRNA encoding the protein, leaving the DNA genome unaltered, thus aiming to bring a pharmacologically titratable approach using genetic medicine,” Novo explained in the Sept. 16 release.
The Danish pharma made a concerted push into the ribonucleic acid space via the acquisition of Dicerna Pharmaceuticals in 2021. Since then, it has collaborated with Eleven Therapeutics to identify new molecules that promote the precise delivery of RNA-based therapies, and more recently bought out Cardior Pharmaceuticals, which is developing an antisense oligonucleotide to inhibit a piece of noncoding RNA.
Novo said this morning that there “continues to be a need to explore novel treatment approaches for cardiometabolic conditions including obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.”
“RNA editing can specifically and efficiently modulate protein function, potentially enabling access to previously undruggable targets for cardiometabolic diseases,” Novo explained.
Uli Stilz, Head of Novo Nordisk’s Bio Innovation Hub, said in the release that the company is “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.”
“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,” Stilz added.
Novo didn’t provide a breakdown of the financials from the deal beyond the top-line figure of $530 million biobucks. We do know that Korro will take forward two programs aimed at undisclosed cardiometabolic targets through preclinical development, with Novo taking over for human studies and beyond.
“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,” Korro’s CEO Ram Aiyar, Ph.D., said in the release. “This partnership will expand the opportunity to potentially bring targeted RNA editing to diseases with high prevalence.”
Korro, which went public last year via a merger with Frequency Therapeutics, has been aiming to get FDA permission later this year to enter its lead asset KRRO-110 into a first-in-human trial. The candidate, developed with the OPERA platform, is designed to treat alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (AATD) by correcting the AAT protein.