Blood
Novo Nordisk Acquires Blood Pressure Drug For $1.3 Bn
Oct
Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk, which specialises in anti-diabetic and anti-obesity treatments, announced Monday it is acquiring hypertension drug ocedurenone for $1.3 billion
The molecule, developed by the biotech firm KBP Biosciences, is currently the subject of clinical trials in patients suffering from uncontrolled hypertension and kidney disease.
“With its expected benefit-risk profile, ocedurenone has best-in-class potential in treating uncontrolled hypertension and could help address a major unmet medical need in people living with cardiovascular disease and chronic kidney disease,” Novo Nordisk said in a press release.
The Danish insulin maker noted that hypertension is a “leading risk factor for cardiovascular events, heart failure, chronic kidney disease and premature death.”
It added that uncontrolled hypertension is when a patients blood pressure remains high despite receiving two or more treatments.
The acquisition is expected to be finalised before the end of the year and will not affect the results of the pharmaceutical company.
On Friday, the drugmaker, which has the largest market cap in Europe, raised its forecasts for 2023 thanks to sales of its anti-diabetic and anti-obesity treatments, Ozempic and Wegovy.
Its revenue, which reached 177 billion kroner ($25 billion) in 2022, is expected to increase by between 32 and 38 percent in 2023, or five percentage points more than what it had previously announced.
cbw/jll/rl
