Novo Nordisk (NYSE:NVO) has agreed to buy ocedurenone, a blood pressure drug with potential applications in cardiovascular and kidney disease, the Danish group said today.
Buoyed by the success of its diabetic treatments Ozempic and Wegovy, which have also been shown to cut weight and reduce heart attack risk, Novo Nordisk (NYSE:NVO) has surged to become Europe’s biggest company.
It is paying Singapore-based KBP Biosciences up to US$1.3 billion for ocedurenone, an orally administered drug that is going through a phase 3 CLARION-CKD trial in patients with uncontrolled hypertension and advanced chronic kidney disease.
Last week, Novo revealed Ozempic was so successful in a trial in diabetics with kidney disease it was allowed to stop the study early.
"This deal is closely aligned with our strategic focus on expanding from our core in diabetes into other serious chronic diseases, including through novel drug modalities," Novo said in a statement.