Skip to main content

Novo Nordisk, U.S. Biotech Company Team Up to Create Obesity Pills

Medically reviewed by Carmen Pope, BPharm. Last updated on May 16, 2025.

By I. Edwards HealthDay Reporter

FRIDAY, May 16, 2025 — Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk is teaming up with California-based biotech Septerna to develop new pills to treat obesity, type 2 diabetes and other metabolic diseases.

The deal could be worth up to $2.2 billion for Septerna. This includes more than $200 million in upfront and short-term milestone payments, plus future rewards tied to research, development and sales. Septerna will also get royalties on any future product sales, The Wall Street Journal reported.

Novo Nordisk will pay all the research and development costs for the project.

The U.S. biotech company has developed a platform that finds and develops drugs that target special proteins called G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs).

These proteins help pass chemicals from outside cells to the inside. Many major drugs on the market today also target GPCRs.

Novo Nordisk’s best-known drug, Wegovy, targets a GPCR called GLP-1. Eli Lilly’s popular weight-loss drug Zepbound targets both GLP-1 and another GPCR called GIP.

“Septerna has demonstrated strong capabilities in GPCR drug discovery," Marcus Schindler, chief scientific officer at Novo Nordisk, told The Wall Street Journal.

“We are excited about the opportunity to develop oral small molecule medicines directed at multiple targets,” he added.

The two companies plan four programs to create pills that target GPCRs including GLP-1, GIP and glucagon — which are important proteins involved in blood sugar and appetite control, The WSJ said.

Right now, leading weight-loss drugs must be injected into the body. Pill versions could make the drugs more convenient for patients and easier to ship and store.

About one-third of drugs approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) target GPCRs, according to Novo Nordisk. But an estimated 75% of GPCR targets have not yet been used in medicine, meaning there’s still a big opportunity for discovery.

Septerna’s stock jumped 69% in premarket trading after the deal was announced. Novo Nordisk’s stock rose 1.2% in European trading.

Sources

  • The Wall Street Journal, May 15, 2025

Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

Posted May 2025

Read this next

More U.S. Teens Getting Weight-Loss Surgery

WEDNESDAY, May 14, 2025 — More U.S. teenagers are getting weight-loss surgery, despite the discovery of new drugs like Ozempic/Wegovy that help people drop pounds...

Weight Gain, Delayed Motherhood Linked To Breast Cancer Risk

WEDNESDAY, May 14, 2025 — Significant weight gain paired with delayed or foregone motherhood nearly triples a young woman’s risk of later breast cancer, a new study...

GLP-1 Weight Loss Drugs Cut Alcohol Cravings By Two-Thirds

TUESDAY, May 13, 2025 — Cutting-edge weight-loss drugs like Ozempic/Wegovy can cut alcohol intake dramatically in a short amount of time, a new study says. People taking...

More news resources

Subscribe to our newsletter

Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.