Novo Nordisk is eyeing a cardiometabolic drug market future that is not purely dominated by incretins, after signing a $812m partnership with Deep Apple Therapeutics to access novel compounds for obesity and other diseases.
The research collaboration and exclusive worldwide license agreement will see Deep Apple tasked with discovering and optimising drug candidates directed at a non-incretin G protein-coupled receptor target.
Go deeper with GlobalData
Novo Nordisk will then have the option to develop, manufacture, and commercialise the resulting compounds and products in all indications. Duties will be transferred before the start of clinical trials, though both companies will collaborate on the research plan.
The breakdown of the $812m figure was not disclosed, though it is constituted of an upfront payment, research costs, and milestone payments. Deep Apple is also in line to receive royalties on sales on any products borne from the partnership that reach market.
The agreement marks a significant moment for Novo Nordisk, as it channels substantial resources into research that is not centred around incretins. The drugmaker’s flagship drug semaglutide, known under the brand names Wegovy and Ozempic for obesity and type 2 diabetes treatment respectively, targets the glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1R), a key component of the incretin system.
Eli Lilly’s rival drug tirzepatide, known under the brand names Mounjaro and Zepbound for weight loss and type 2 diabetes respectively, is a dual incretin – targeting both GLP-1 and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) receptors.
US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?
Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.
By GlobalDataNovo Nordisk and Deep Apple have not disclosed the name of their intended target, saying only that is a “non-incretin G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR) that is well-suited for Deep Apple’s platform.”
Deep Apple’s drug discovery platform combines machine-learning-powered virtual screening with structural biology enabled by cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM).
“Novo Nordisk is developing a range of potential oral medicines for cardiometabolic diseases across modalities and targets, as we know that people living with these diseases have different needs and preferences,” said Jacob Sten Petersen, senior vice president of diabetes, obesity and MASH therapeutic area at Novo Nordisk.
“We look forward to exploring this novel target further based on Deep Apple’s AI-powered platform and expertise in small molecule drug discovery,” Petersen added.
Apple Tree Partners founded the Deep Apple in 2022, investing $52m in series A funding. The biotech used these funds to establish a pipeline that includes three metabolic disease programmes, with further assets across immune disorders and endocrine diseases.
Novo Nordisk ramps up partnership strategy
Deep Apple is the latest biotech Novo Nordisk has tapped in efforts to regain market share in the cardiometabolic disease market. Eli Lilly’s tirzepatide is outpacing semaglutide in terms of sales, leading to declining share prices for the Danish big pharma. Novo Nordisk’s new candidate, CagriSema, was hyped as a successor to semaglutide only to produce underwhelming results in a Phase III trial. Incidentally, the company listed two new trials on ClinicalTrials.gov this week as it continues to evaluate the efficacy of the drug. Struggles at the drugmaker culminated in long-time CEO Lars Fruergaard Jørgensen stepping down in May 2025.
Other deals initiated by Novo Nordisk in 2025 include a $345m pact with Gensaic, $50m invested in Variant Bio, and a potential $2bn deal with United Laboratories for a GLP-1/GIP/glucagon triple receptor agonist.
