Novo Nordisk inks deal on cell therapies for diabetes and obesity

As part of its aim to expand into cell therapies, Danish diabetes care giant Novo Nordisk (NOV: N) has entered into a collaboration with a Canadian biotech that could cost it as much as $2.6 billion.

Novo Nordisk has signed collaboration and licence agreement with privately-held Vancouver-based Aspect Biosystems to develop bioprinted tissue therapeutics designed to replace, repair, or supplement biological functions inside the body with the aim of delivering a new class of truly disease-modifying treatments for diabetes and obesity.

The collaboration will leverage Aspect’s proprietary bioprinting technology and Novo Nordisk’s expertise and technology in stem cell differentiation and cell therapy development and manufacturing.