Novo Nordisk, MIT to undertake research on next generation of drug delivery devices

The research collaboration will be undertaken at MIT in Boston, US and Novo’s research facilities in Måløv and Hillerød, Denmark.

It intends to develop the next generation of drug delivery devices as an alternative to parenteral or injection-based delivery of peptides.

The collaboration will set up several research positions that will be hosted by the Langer Laboratory and funded by Novo Nordisk.

It will initially last for three years with an option to extend for additional three years.

Novo Nordisk senior vice president and head of global research Peter Kurtzhals said: "Drug delivery devices hold great potential and I am looking forward to this exciting research collaboration with one of the world’s leading drug delivery laboratories."

Langer Laboratory head Robert Langer said: "We are very excited to be doing research sponsored by Novo Nordisk to address one of the current greatest challenges in drug delivery."

Some of the challenges of developing and producing a reliable peptide delivery vehicle include preventing premature degradation in the body, overcoming poor peptide transport over epithelial barriers.

Limiting variability of absorption, and producing both peptide and the delivery vehicle in sufficient scale and numbers cost-effectively are the other challenges.

Novo Nordisk said by overcoming these challenges, drug delivery devices have better therapeutic promise for a plethora of diseases where patients are required to take frequent injections.