Merrion, Novo Nordisk deal

Merrion said Novo Nordisk declined to exercise its option under a 2010 deal to license rights to Merrion's Gastrointestinal Permeation Enhancement Technology (GIPET) absorption-enhancing technology for use with an undisclosed diabetes compound from Novo. Merrion said data from a preclinical study did not show a sufficient improvement in bioavailability for Novo to move forward with the compound. Details were not disclosed (see BioCentury, Jan. 3).

Merrion said the decision will not affect either of its ongoing deals with Novo to use the GIPET technology with insulin analogs and an undisclosed glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist (see BioCentury, Dec. 8, 2008 & Jan. 26, 2009). ...