Novo Nordisk seeks to target heart disease with Cardior acquisition

Novo Nordisk has announced a €1.025 billion (£866 million) deal to acquire Cardior, a Hannover-based developer of oligonucleotide therapies targeting non-coding RNA. Novo Nordisk announced the deal in a March 25 press release, stating that “Cardior is a leader in the discovery and development of therapies that target RNA as a means to prevent, repair and reverse diseases of the heart.”

The acquisition of Cardior is part of a wider strategy by Novo Nordisk to establish itself as a leader in the treatment of cardiovascular disease. The deal will include acquisition of CDR132L, Cardior’s lead compound, which is currently in phase two of clinical development and shows promise as a treatment for heart failure. The compound is designed to halt and partially reverse cellular pathology, potentially offering long-lasting heart function improvement for heart disease patients.

Martin Holst Lange, Executive Vice President for Development at Novo Nordisk, said:

“By welcoming Cardior as a part of Novo Nordisk, we will strengthen our pipeline of projects in cardiovascular disease where we already have ongoing programmes across all phases of clinical development.

We have been impressed by the scientific work carried out by the Cardior team, especially on CDR132L, which has a distinctive mode of action and potential to become a first-in-class therapy designed to halt or partially reverse the course of disease for people living with heart failure.”

The deal would see Novo Nordisk begin a second phase two trial for the oligonucleotide-based inhibitor to investigate its viability for the treatment of cardiac hypertrophy, a disease that affects the walls of the heart and limits its ability to pump blood effectively.

The size of the deal may increase further with additional payments if certain development and commercial milestones are achieved, however regulatory approvals are still necessary before the acquisition can be finalised.

Thomas Thum, Founder, Chief Scientific Officer and Chief Medical Officer at Cardior will speak at the Oligonucleotide Therapeutics and Delivery conference on non-coding RNA-based therapeutics in heart disease.

Thum will discuss how the oligonucleotide R&D landscape is progressing and why research and funding is still critical.

Thum will offer details of the ongoing CDR132L phase two trial and how Novo Nordisk is planning to invest in the oligonucleotide therapeutics space through the acquisition of Cardior.