Almirall Enters License Agreement With Novo Nordisk for Rights to IL-21 Blocking Monoclonal Antibody NN-8828

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Almirall has today announced¹ it has entered into an exclusive license agreement with Danish pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk for the global rights to develop and commercialize NN-8828 (NNC0114-0006), an IL-21 blocking monoclonal antibody.

NN-8828 represents a first-in-class agent in dermatology. The license agreement allows Almirall to develop and commercialize NN-8828 in several fields, particularly in immune inflammatory dermatological diseases.

Developed by Novo Nordisk and already advanced to phase II in non-dermatological indications, NN-8828 holds promise in inhibiting the pathophysiological functions induced by IL-21 across various immune cells.

Previously, Novo Nordisk had advanced NN-8828 into phase 1 trials for inflammation, rheumatoid arthritis, and systemic lupus erythematosus, as well as phase 2 trials for inflammation, Crohn disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and type 1 diabetes.²

Under the terms of this collaboration, Almirall will spearhead the global development and future commercialization efforts for NN-8828 in dermatological indications. In return, Novo Nordisk stands to receive an upfront payment, alongside additional development and commercial milestone payments, as well as tiered royalties based on future global sales.

"At Almirall, we are dedicated to developing the best possible treatments for patients suffering from skin diseases,” said Karl Ziegelbauer, PhD, chief scientific officer of Almirall, in today's news release.¹ “This new partnership builds on our innovation strategy and will allow us to explore the innovative approach of IL-21 blockage as a possible new pathway to effectively treat a range of dermatological diseases.”

References

1. Almirall licenses an anti-IL-21 monoclonal antibody from Novo Nordisk to develop it as a first-in-class agent in dermatology. News release. Almirall. February 19, 2024. Accessed February 19, 2024. https://www.almirall.com/newsroom/news/almirall-licenses-an-anti-il-21-monoclonal-antibody-from-novo-nordisk-to-develop-it-as-a-first-in-class-agent-in-dermatology
2. Pryzm by Ozmosi. NNC0114-0006. March 19, 2019. Accessed February 19, 2024. https://pryzm.ozmosi.com/product/14916