Novo Nordisk Stakes $550 Million on Replicate’s Self-Replicating RNA Obesity Drugs

Novo Nordisk has signed a multi-year research agreement with privately held Replicate Bioscience that could be worth up to $550 million. The Danish drugmaker obtains an exclusive, worldwide licence to Replicate’s self-replicating RNA (srRNA) technology to develop treatments for obesity, type 2 diabetes and other cardiometabolic conditions. Replicate will receive research funding, milestone payments tied to development and commercial progress, and tiered royalties on eventual product sales. Replicate’s srRNA molecules are designed to copy themselves once inside cells, potentially allowing lower doses and stronger, longer-lasting protein expression than conventional mRNA therapies. The San Diego-based company has already completed a Phase 1 study of an srRNA rabies vaccine and is advancing pre-clinical programmes in oncology and infectious disease. The deal extends Novo Nordisk’s recent deal-making push as it seeks to defend its leadership in the fast-growing obesity drug market, where it faces mounting competition from Eli Lilly and emerging copycat versions of its semaglutide-based medicines. Earlier this year Novo committed more than $3 billion to other cardiometabolic collaborations. Competitors are also stepping up investment: Roche’s Genentech unit this week broke ground on a $700 million fill-finish plant in North Carolina that is slated to supply future obesity treatments when it opens in 2029, part of the Swiss group’s planned $50 billion U.S. expansion.