Novo Nordisk Deepens Deal With Aspect Biosystems for Diabetes

Novo Nordisk is taking a big step forward in developing diabetes cell therapy with its partner, Vancouver?based biotech firm Aspect Biosystems, the companies announced today.

The expanded deal hands Aspect the lead role in developing, manufacturing and bringing new cell?based diabetes treatments to market while Novo Nordisk keeps key rights to re?engage later in development and commercialization.

Under the updated partnership, Aspect acquires rights to important Novo Nordisk technologies that help produce insulin?making “islet” cells from stem cells and engineer cells that are less likely to be attacked by the immune system. Novo Nordisk will boost Aspect’s work with additional equity investment and research funding. The financial terms were not disclosed. The Danish drugmaker also stands to earn milestone payments and royalties if products from the collaboration reach patients.

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This expanded agreement builds on a collaboration that began in 2023. As part of the shift, some research, development and manufacturing experience from the U.S. and Denmark will move into Aspect’s Canada?based platform, increasing the biotech’s internal capacity and end?to?end capabilities.

Products from 3D Bioprinting by Aspect Biosystems allows us to print living cells in a 3D printed way to produce precise printouts of cells to provide new methodologies for creating living implants that will restore and provide normal levels of insulin for diabetic patients. In the future we envision that diabetes patients will not be dependent on the administration of insulin every day and instead will depend on functional and/or long-lasting treatment for their diabetes.

Novo Nordisk continues to work in partnership with Aspect to achieve the long term vision that Novo Nordisk has of solving the problem of diabetes using innovative solutions and taking advantage of our long history of experience and research around Diabetes and Aspect's expertise in Cell Therapy products.