2023-10-31 10:11:00
In a tense context for the financing of biotechs, Vect-Horus is reassured. The Marseille biotech has just concluded a global licensing agreement with Novo Nordisk and will receive an initial payment, the amount of which has not been disclosed. Depending on the success of the contract, Vect-Horus will be able to receive up to $327 million in milestone payments as well as possible royalties on sales.
Technology to better target certain pathologies
In return, Novo Nordisk will be able to take advantage of the Vect-Horus technological platform for three programs. This platform helps in the development of “shuttles” or vectors, responsible for targeting a particular organ or tumor. Vect-Horus’ technology aims to overcome certain biological barriers in the body, notably the blood-brain barrier, which protects the brain and makes it difficult to administer drugs aimed at diseases of the central nervous system. The shuttles developed use the body’s natural transport routes to overcome these barriers and deliver the drug to its target.
This type of technology is booming in the world of biotech, whether to optimize gene therapies, better fight cancer or position itself on diseases that are difficult to treat such as Alzheimer’s disease. “The ability to precisely target the delivery of therapeutics is essential to our ambition to address the unmet needs of serious chronic diseases”recalls Brian Vandahl, vice-president in charge of technology transfer at Novo Nordisk.
A partnership strategy
The Marseille biotech company wishes to move forward by relying on this type of licensing agreement. “This agreement is another important step in our strategy to establish commercial partnerships and secure significant short-term cash flow to implement our technology and development programs”welcomes Alexandre Tokay, general director of Vect-Horus, who also co-founded the company in 2005.
For now, programs that have tapped into its vector technology are still in early stages of development. Vect-Horus notably formed a partnership with the Texan biotech RadioMedix in 2019 and made progress on a radiopharmaceutical agent positioned on glioblastoma.
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