Novo Nordisk and Emisphere to develop oral insulin treatments

Novo Nordisk is allying with biopharmaceutical firm Emisphere Technologies to develop new oral formulations of Novo Nordisk's insulin treatments for diabetes.

The exclusive development and licence agreement signed between the two firms will see Novo Nordisk pay Emisphere up to $57.5 million (37.3 million pounds) to create the new formulations using its Eligen technology.

This broad-based drug delivery technology platform utilises proprietary synthetic compounds to administer therapeutic molecules without affecting their chemical form or biological integrity.

It represents the latest phase of a long-term collaboration between the companies, with an agreement to create oral formulations of GLP-1 receptor agonists having been signed in June 2008.

Peter Kurtzhals, senior vice-president for the diabetes research unit of Novo Nordisk, said: "This is an encouraging agreement on a promising technology for oral administration of proteins."

Earlier this month, Novo Nordisk published positive clinical data for NovoSeven, its new treatment for preventing joint bleeds among haemophilia patients.