Bagsværd, Denmark, and Hannover, Germany, 25 March, 2024 - Novo Nordisk and Cardior Pharmaceuticals today announced that Novo Nordisk has agreed to acquire Cardior for up to 1.025 billion Euros, including an upfront payment and additional payments if certain development and commercial milestones are achieved.
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 company's therapeutic approach targets distinctive non-coding RNAs as a platform for addressing root causes of cardiac dysfunctions with an aim to achieve lasting patient impact.
The agreement includes Cardior's lead compound CDR132L, currently in phase 2 clinical development for the treatment of heart failure.
The acquisition is an important step forward in Novo Nordisk's strategy to establish a presence in cardiovascular disease. Novo Nordisk aims to build a focused, impactful portfolio of therapies through internal and external innovation to address the significant unmet needs that still exist within cardiovascular disease, the most common cause of death globally.
"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," said Martin Holst Lange, executive vice president for Development at Novo Nordisk. "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."
CDR132L is designed to halt and partially reverse cellular pathology by selectively blocking abnormal levels of the microRNA molecule miR-132, potentially leading to long-lasting improvement in heart function.
In a phase 1b trial published in the European Heart Journal1, CDR132L was reported to be safe and well tolerated and the results suggested cardiac functional improvements in people with heart failure compared to placebo. CDR132L is currently being investigated in the phase 2 trial HF-REVERT in 280 people with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) who have previously suffered a heart attack (myocardial infarction). The first patient was dosed in the HF-REVERT trial in July 2022.
Novo Nordisk plans to initiate a second phase 2 trial that will investigate CDR132L in a chronic heart failure population with cardiac hypertrophy - a condition that causes the walls of the heart muscle to become thick and stiff, affecting the heart's ability to pump blood.
"This acquisition is a reflection of CDR132L's transformative potential as a disease-modifying therapy for heart failure," said Claudia Ulbrich, MD, CEO and co-founder of Cardior. "Novo Nordisk is the ideal partner based on its deep clinical and commercial expertise combined with its resources to accelerate our late-stage development programme, including through larger registrational studies. We look forward to advancing CDR132L towards market approval."
The closing of the acquisition is subject to receipt of applicable regulatory approvals and other customary conditions and is expected to happen in the second quarter of 2024.
The transaction will not impact Novo Nordisk's previously communicated operating profit outlook for 2024 or the ongoing share buy-back programme. Novo Nordisk will fund the acquisition from financial reserves.
About heart failure
Heart failure is a chronic, progressive condition in which the heart muscle is unable to pump enough blood to meet the body's needs for blood and oxygen. The condition leads to frequent hospitalisations, and more than half of people diagnosed with heart failure die within five years2. Heart failure affects more than 65 million people globally and is most commonly caused by heart conditions such as ischaemic heart disease, cardiomyopathy or high blood pressure3. The condition cannot be cured. Current therapies can slow but not halt disease progression4, and morbidity and mortality remain high5.
About Cardior's approach
Cardior works to identify and counteract the molecular mechanisms of the broad area of ischaemic-induced heart failure as well as specific cardiac diseases such as hypertrophic and dilated cardiomyopathies. Cardior primarily seeks to advance a novel class of antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) targeting so-called non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) that are able to act on several key disease pathways simultaneously, triggering a concerted therapeutic effect against key hallmarks of heart disease, including cardiac hypertrophy, fibrosis, impaired contractility and reduced vascularization. Although ncRNAs are not translated into proteins, they are important for the regulation of critical cellular processes and their dysregulation is a hallmark of many diseases. With its deep knowledge in RNA biology, Cardior is developing a clinically-oriented approach to restore normal levels and functions of these key players in the pathological processes of cardiac diseases.
About Novo Nordisk
Novo Nordisk is a leading global healthcare company, founded in 1923 and headquartered in Denmark. Our purpose is to drive change to defeat serious chronic diseases, built upon our heritage in diabetes. We do so by pioneering scientific breakthroughs, expanding access to our medicines, and working to prevent and ultimately cure disease. Novo Nordisk employs about 63,400 people in 80 countries and markets its products in around 170 countries. For more information, visit novonordisk.com, Facebook, Instagram, X, LinkedIn and YouTube.
About Cardior
Cardior Pharmaceuticals is a leading clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company pioneering the discovery and development of RNA-based therapeutics designed to prevent, repair and reverse diseases of the heart. Cardior's therapeutic approach uses distinctive non-coding RNAs as an innovative platform for addressing the root causes of cardiac dysfunctions. The company aspires to bring transformative therapeutics and diagnostics to patients and thereby make a lasting impact on the treatment of cardiac diseases worldwide.
Contacts for further information
Media:
Ambre James-Brown
+45 3079 9289
[email protected]
Liz Skrbkova (US)
+1 609 917 0632 [email protected]
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 company's therapeutic approach targets distinctive non-coding RNAs as a platform for addressing root causes of cardiac dysfunctions with an aim to achieve lasting patient impact.
The agreement includes Cardior's lead compound CDR132L, currently in phase 2 clinical development for the treatment of heart failure.
The acquisition is an important step forward in Novo Nordisk's strategy to establish a presence in cardiovascular disease. Novo Nordisk aims to build a focused, impactful portfolio of therapies through internal and external innovation to address the significant unmet needs that still exist within cardiovascular disease, the most common cause of death globally.
"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," said Martin Holst Lange, executive vice president for Development at Novo Nordisk. "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."
CDR132L is designed to halt and partially reverse cellular pathology by selectively blocking abnormal levels of the microRNA molecule miR-132, potentially leading to long-lasting improvement in heart function.
In a phase 1b trial published in the European Heart Journal1, CDR132L was reported to be safe and well tolerated and the results suggested cardiac functional improvements in people with heart failure compared to placebo. CDR132L is currently being investigated in the phase 2 trial HF-REVERT in 280 people with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) who have previously suffered a heart attack (myocardial infarction). The first patient was dosed in the HF-REVERT trial in July 2022.
Novo Nordisk plans to initiate a second phase 2 trial that will investigate CDR132L in a chronic heart failure population with cardiac hypertrophy - a condition that causes the walls of the heart muscle to become thick and stiff, affecting the heart's ability to pump blood.
"This acquisition is a reflection of CDR132L's transformative potential as a disease-modifying therapy for heart failure," said Claudia Ulbrich, MD, CEO and co-founder of Cardior. "Novo Nordisk is the ideal partner based on its deep clinical and commercial expertise combined with its resources to accelerate our late-stage development programme, including through larger registrational studies. We look forward to advancing CDR132L towards market approval."
The closing of the acquisition is subject to receipt of applicable regulatory approvals and other customary conditions and is expected to happen in the second quarter of 2024.
The transaction will not impact Novo Nordisk's previously communicated operating profit outlook for 2024 or the ongoing share buy-back programme. Novo Nordisk will fund the acquisition from financial reserves.
About heart failure
Heart failure is a chronic, progressive condition in which the heart muscle is unable to pump enough blood to meet the body's needs for blood and oxygen. The condition leads to frequent hospitalisations, and more than half of people diagnosed with heart failure die within five years2. Heart failure affects more than 65 million people globally and is most commonly caused by heart conditions such as ischaemic heart disease, cardiomyopathy or high blood pressure3. The condition cannot be cured. Current therapies can slow but not halt disease progression4, and morbidity and mortality remain high5.
About Cardior's approach
Cardior works to identify and counteract the molecular mechanisms of the broad area of ischaemic-induced heart failure as well as specific cardiac diseases such as hypertrophic and dilated cardiomyopathies. Cardior primarily seeks to advance a novel class of antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) targeting so-called non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) that are able to act on several key disease pathways simultaneously, triggering a concerted therapeutic effect against key hallmarks of heart disease, including cardiac hypertrophy, fibrosis, impaired contractility and reduced vascularization. Although ncRNAs are not translated into proteins, they are important for the regulation of critical cellular processes and their dysregulation is a hallmark of many diseases. With its deep knowledge in RNA biology, Cardior is developing a clinically-oriented approach to restore normal levels and functions of these key players in the pathological processes of cardiac diseases.
About Novo Nordisk
Novo Nordisk is a leading global healthcare company, founded in 1923 and headquartered in Denmark. Our purpose is to drive change to defeat serious chronic diseases, built upon our heritage in diabetes. We do so by pioneering scientific breakthroughs, expanding access to our medicines, and working to prevent and ultimately cure disease. Novo Nordisk employs about 63,400 people in 80 countries and markets its products in around 170 countries. For more information, visit novonordisk.com, Facebook, Instagram, X, LinkedIn and YouTube.
About Cardior
Cardior Pharmaceuticals is a leading clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company pioneering the discovery and development of RNA-based therapeutics designed to prevent, repair and reverse diseases of the heart. Cardior's therapeutic approach uses distinctive non-coding RNAs as an innovative platform for addressing the root causes of cardiac dysfunctions. The company aspires to bring transformative therapeutics and diagnostics to patients and thereby make a lasting impact on the treatment of cardiac diseases worldwide.
Contacts for further information
Media:
Ambre James-Brown
+45 3079 9289
[email protected]
Liz Skrbkova (US)
+1 609 917 0632 [email protected]
25/3 2024 11:30 ProInvestorNEWS 1
119511 Novo Nordisk køber tysk virksomhed for over 1 mia. euro og får nyt middel med
25/3 11:27
Novo Nordisk har købt det tyske selskab Cardior Pharmaceuticals for 1,025 mia. euro - mere end 7,6 mia. kr.
Det beløb inkluderer en upfront-betaling og yderligere betalinger, hvis visse udviklingsmæssige og kommercielle milepæle bliver nået.
Ifølge Novo er opkøbet et vigtigt skridt det danske selskabs strategi om at etablere en tilstedeværelse inden for hjerte-kar-sygdomme.
- Ved at byde Cardior velkommen som en del af Novo Nordisk styrker vi vores pipeline af projekter inden for hjerte-kar-sygdomme, hvor vi allerede har igangværende programmer på tværs af alle faser af den kliniske udvikling, siger Martin Holst Lange, koncerndirektør for udvikling i Novo Nordisk.
Aftalen inkluderer Cardiors lægemiddelkandidat CDR132L, der i øjeblikket er i fase 2 udvikling til behandling af hjertesvigt.
- Vi har været imponerede over det videnskabelige arbejde, som Cardior-teamet har udført, især på CDR132L, som har en særlig virkningsmekanisme og potentiale til at blive en førsteklasses behandling, der er designet til at standse eller delvist vende sygdomsforløbet for mennesker, der lever med hjertesvigt, lyder det videre fra Martin Holst Lange.
CDR132L er designet til at standse og delvist vende udviklingen i celler ved at blokere unormale niveauer af mikroRNA-molekylet miR-132, hvilket potentielt kan føre til langvarig forbedring af hjertefunktionen, skriver Novo.
Lægemidlet har vist lovende takter i et fase 1b-studie, hvor resultaterne indikerede hjerte-kar-mæssige forbedringer hos personer med hjertesvigt.
CDR132L undersøges i øjeblikket i et fase 2-studie med patienter med reduceret uddrivningsfraktion - altså den procentdel blod, som hjertet pumper ud i forhold til den mængde det af det blod, der løber ind i hjertet - som tidligere har haft hjerteanfald.
Novo Nordisk planlægger at igangsætte endnu et fase 2-forsøg, som skal undersøge CDR132L i en population med kronisk hjertesvigt og hjertehypertrofi - en tilstand, hvor væggene i hjertemusklen bliver tykke og stive, hvilket påvirker hjertets evne til at pumpe blod, oplyser det danske selskab.
.\\˙ MarketWire
25/3 11:27
Novo Nordisk har købt det tyske selskab Cardior Pharmaceuticals for 1,025 mia. euro - mere end 7,6 mia. kr.
Det beløb inkluderer en upfront-betaling og yderligere betalinger, hvis visse udviklingsmæssige og kommercielle milepæle bliver nået.
Ifølge Novo er opkøbet et vigtigt skridt det danske selskabs strategi om at etablere en tilstedeværelse inden for hjerte-kar-sygdomme.
- Ved at byde Cardior velkommen som en del af Novo Nordisk styrker vi vores pipeline af projekter inden for hjerte-kar-sygdomme, hvor vi allerede har igangværende programmer på tværs af alle faser af den kliniske udvikling, siger Martin Holst Lange, koncerndirektør for udvikling i Novo Nordisk.
Aftalen inkluderer Cardiors lægemiddelkandidat CDR132L, der i øjeblikket er i fase 2 udvikling til behandling af hjertesvigt.
- Vi har været imponerede over det videnskabelige arbejde, som Cardior-teamet har udført, især på CDR132L, som har en særlig virkningsmekanisme og potentiale til at blive en førsteklasses behandling, der er designet til at standse eller delvist vende sygdomsforløbet for mennesker, der lever med hjertesvigt, lyder det videre fra Martin Holst Lange.
CDR132L er designet til at standse og delvist vende udviklingen i celler ved at blokere unormale niveauer af mikroRNA-molekylet miR-132, hvilket potentielt kan føre til langvarig forbedring af hjertefunktionen, skriver Novo.
Lægemidlet har vist lovende takter i et fase 1b-studie, hvor resultaterne indikerede hjerte-kar-mæssige forbedringer hos personer med hjertesvigt.
CDR132L undersøges i øjeblikket i et fase 2-studie med patienter med reduceret uddrivningsfraktion - altså den procentdel blod, som hjertet pumper ud i forhold til den mængde det af det blod, der løber ind i hjertet - som tidligere har haft hjerteanfald.
Novo Nordisk planlægger at igangsætte endnu et fase 2-forsøg, som skal undersøge CDR132L i en population med kronisk hjertesvigt og hjertehypertrofi - en tilstand, hvor væggene i hjertemusklen bliver tykke og stive, hvilket påvirker hjertets evne til at pumpe blod, oplyser det danske selskab.
.\\˙ MarketWire
25/3 2024 12:25 ProInvestorNEWS 1119513 Novo/Sydbank: Spændende opkøb følger strategien fint
25/3 11:57
Novo Nordisks opkøb af tyske Cardior Pharmaceuticals ser umiddelbart spændende ud, men er ikke nogen stor overraskelse, lyder den umiddelbare vurdering fra Søren Løntoft Hansen, der er senioranalytiker hos Sydbank.
- Vi har set Novo købe både kandidater og teknologier op flere gange de seneste år. Det følger det, som selskabet har lagt op til på kapitalmarkedsdagene - både tidligere og den i marts. Nemlig at der skal etableres tilstedeværelse på andre sygdomsområder - herunder det kardiovaskulære område, siger han til MarketWire.
Ifølge Novo Nordisk selv er købet af Cardior et vigtigt skridt i forhold til at skabe fodfæste inden for netop det kardiovaskulære område.
Aftalen inkluderer blandt andet Cardiors lægemiddelkandidat CDR132L, der i øjeblikket er i fase 2-udvikling til behandling af hjertesvigt.
Handlen har en samlet værdi af 1,025 mia. euro - mere end 7,6 mia. kr.
Det beløb inkluderer en upfront-betaling og yderligere betalinger, hvis visse udviklingsmæssige og kommercielle milepæle bliver nået, oplyser Novo Nordisk.
.\˙ MarketWire
25/3 11:57
Novo Nordisks opkøb af tyske Cardior Pharmaceuticals ser umiddelbart spændende ud, men er ikke nogen stor overraskelse, lyder den umiddelbare vurdering fra Søren Løntoft Hansen, der er senioranalytiker hos Sydbank.
- Vi har set Novo købe både kandidater og teknologier op flere gange de seneste år. Det følger det, som selskabet har lagt op til på kapitalmarkedsdagene - både tidligere og den i marts. Nemlig at der skal etableres tilstedeværelse på andre sygdomsområder - herunder det kardiovaskulære område, siger han til MarketWire.
Ifølge Novo Nordisk selv er købet af Cardior et vigtigt skridt i forhold til at skabe fodfæste inden for netop det kardiovaskulære område.
Aftalen inkluderer blandt andet Cardiors lægemiddelkandidat CDR132L, der i øjeblikket er i fase 2-udvikling til behandling af hjertesvigt.
Handlen har en samlet værdi af 1,025 mia. euro - mere end 7,6 mia. kr.
Det beløb inkluderer en upfront-betaling og yderligere betalinger, hvis visse udviklingsmæssige og kommercielle milepæle bliver nået, oplyser Novo Nordisk.
.\˙ MarketWire
