Novo Nordisk swaps product rights with Innate Pharma

Novo Nordisk and Innate Pharma have announced an agreement to swap product rights for two compounds.

Under the terms of the deal, Novo Nordisk has received fully paid-up and exclusive rights to NN8555/IPH 2301.

In exchange for an upfront payment of 2.5 million euros (1.9 million pounds) and further milestone payments and royalties, Innate Pharma has been granted the development and marketing rights to NN1975/IPH 2101.

NN8555/IPH 2301 is a monoclonal antibody targeting natural killer cells and certain T-cells and is in preclinical research in inflammation.

The other compound, NN1875/IPH 2101 is a monoclonal antibody that operates by targeting inhibitory receptors on natural killer cells and is currently in two phase I clinical trials for haematological cancers.

“The agreement is in line with Novo Nordisk’s decision to exit the oncology area and increase its activities within inflammation,” the company said.

It added it had voiced this intention in its financial statement for 2007 issued in January 2008.

In August 2008, Novo Nordisk joined the call to action for gender equality to help speed up progress towards the third Millennium Development Goal.

This goal calls for the empowerment of women and promotion of gender equality.