Novo Nordisk and Vivtex have announced a partnership to develop next-generation oral biologic medicines for the treatment of obesity, diabetes, and related conditions, according to a joint statement from the companies.

Under the agreement, Vivtex will license certain oral drug delivery technologies to Novo Nordisk. In return, Vivtex will be eligible to receive an upfront payment, research funding, and milestone payments totaling up to $2.1 billion, as well as tiered royalties on future product sales.

“Novo Nordisk has been at the forefront of innovation in protein and peptide engineering for several decades, including in the field of oral peptide medicines. More than five years ago, we launched the world’s first oral biologic drug, and recently introduced the world’s first oral biologic treatment for obesity,” said Brian Vandahl, Senior Vice President for Therapeutic Research at Novo Nordisk. “We continue to push the boundaries of science through both internal and external innovation to fulfill our mission of treating millions of people living with obesity, diabetes, and related diseases.”

The collaboration aims to enable oral delivery of biologic drug candidates that have traditionally been administered only by injection due to poor absorption in the gastrointestinal tract.

Vivtex’s platform combines multiple proprietary gastrointestinal screening methods, drug delivery technologies, computational modeling, and artificial intelligence capabilities to optimize the oral delivery of biologics.

The platform is designed to achieve high oral bioavailability and consistent efficacy in the human body.

Following research and formulation selection, Novo Nordisk will assume responsibility for global development, regulatory activities, manufacturing, and commercialization of any resulting products.