Novo Nordisk Signs $550M RNA Partnership With Replicate Bioscience

Novo Nordisk has entered a multi-year collaboration with Replicate Bioscience to develop new RNA-based therapies targeting obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cardiometabolic diseases. The partnership centers on Replicate's self-replicating RNA platform, designed to amplify the therapeutic effect by enabling cells to produce more of the therapeutic protein after dosing. Novo Nordisk is investing up to $550 million in research funding, including an upfront payment and milestone-based payments, and Replicate will receive tiered royalties on future product sales. This collaboration is part of Novo Nordisk's broader strategy to expand its cardiometabolic pipeline amid recent challenges, including supply shortages of its blockbuster drugs Wegovy and Ozempic, and leadership changes. Replicate’s technology aims to enhance mRNA therapies by delivering a “copy machine” mechanism inside cells to increase the durability and amount of therapeutic protein production. Novo Nordisk has been actively partnering with biotech companies recently to innovate beyond its existing drug portfolio and address serious chronic diseases.