EraCal Therapeutics has entered into a collaboration and license agreement with Novo Nordisk to develop and commercialize EraCal’s oral, small molecule program. The asset was discovered with EraCal’s platform technology and is believed to target a novel mechanism of action controlling appetite and body weight to treat obesity.
“This is an important agreement for EraCal Therapeutics as it showcases the team’s capabilities to identify new mechanisms of action and to discover and develop small molecules to target these biological pathways,” said Josua Jordi, CEO of EraCal Therapeutics. “We consider Novo Nordisk the ideal partner to bring this program to patients and are excited to join forces to lead innovation.”
Novo Nordisk obtains the exclusive rights to develop and commercialize the program under the agreement, while EraCal is eligible to receive upfront, development, and commercial milestones of up to 235 million EURO and further royalties on sales of a marketed product.
“EraCal Therapeutics brings a unique drug discovery approach for obesity and other metabolic diseases,” said Dr. Bei Zhang, CVP and therapeutic area head of diabetes, obesity, and MASH at Novo Nordisk. “We look forward to working with the EraCal team to realize the value of their platform and discover innovative medicines for people living with obesity.”
Ann Clare Kessler, chairman of EraCal Therapeutics, said: “Novo Nordisk is the perfect partner to assess EraCal’s molecules that we believe have a unique mechanism for body weight control. It is a credit to the EraCal team led by the CEO, Josua Jordi, and COO, Simon Breitler to have Novo Nordisk develop these molecules for metabolic diseases, especially obesity.”
