Novo Nordisk and MIT to develop new drug delivery devices

Novo Nordisk has announced a new collaboration with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) on the development of new drug delivery devices.

The company will partner with the Langer Laboratory at MIT to produce what is hoped to be the next generation of devices for the administration of peptides, offering an alternative to parenteral or injection-based delivery.

Professor Robert Langer is recognised as a world-leading expert in creating new approaches for delivering drugs such as peptides and proteins across complex barriers in the body such as the blood-brain barrier, the intestine, the lung and the skin.

The initial term of the collaboration is three years, with the option to extend for up to three additional years. A number of research positions, to be hosted by the Langer Laboratory and funded by Novo Nordisk, will be established through this partnership.

Peter Kurtzhals, senior vice-president and head of global research at Novo Nordisk, said: "Drug delivery devices hold great potential and I am looking forward to this exciting research collaboration with one of the world's leading drug delivery laboratories."

Last week, the company announced the purchase of the biopharmaceutical research companies Calibrium and MB2, a move designed to bolster its diabetes and obesity capabilities.