Changes in US stocks | Septerna (SEPN.US) surged 67% ahead of the market and will cooperate with Novo Nordisk to develop oral diet pills

The Zhitong Finance App learned that Novo Nordisk (NVO.US) has agreed with Septerna (SEPN.US) to jointly develop and commercialize oral small molecule drugs for the treatment of obesity and other cardiometabolic diseases, with a transaction value of up to 2.2 billion US dollars. Affected by the news, Septerna surged 67% in the premarket.

Septerna is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing treatments for a class of cell membrane receptors called G protein-coupled receptors (GPCR), including GLP-1 receptor agonists. As part of the deal, the company will receive more than $200 million in upfront payments and recent milestone payments from Novo Nordisk.

Novo Nordisk's total payments to Septerna could reach $2.2 billion, including prepayments and R&D and commercial milestone payments. Additionally, San Francisco-based Septerna will be entitled to tiered royalties based on net global sales of its listed products.

The two companies said that under the terms of the agreement, Novo Nordisk will bear all R&D expenses for the cooperative project, including four initial development projects for GLP-1, GIP, glucagon receptors and other GPCR targets. The agreement is expected to be completed in the second quarter of 2025.