Nordic Life Science 1
T E X T b y M AL IN O T M ANI Novo Nordisk obtain
s license for potential NASH candidate Lars Fruergaard Joergensen, CEO, Novo Nordisk Hagastaden, Stockholm T IS AN EXCLUSIVE worldwide license for UBE Industries’ preclinical asset UD-014. UD-014 is a selective SemicarbazideSensitive Amine Oxidase/ CLUS T ER During 2019, several companies, including Affibody, Bayer, Chiesi, Otsuka and Waters chose to relocate to Hagastaden, and more are on the way. H AGASTADEN IS SCHEDULED to be finished within ten years, but already the area is flourishing with life science. There are over 120 life science companies present here and during last year a number of companies moved into the buildings, including Affibody, Bayer, Chiesi, Otsuka and Waters. “This indicates the value of having a close presence between healthcare and companies within life sciences and the universities,” says Ylva Williams, CEO, Stockholm Science City. During the third quarter of 2021, the medical technology company RaySearch will also move its headquarters from Sveavägen 44 to the new location in Hagastaden. “The new premises will support us in our continued relationships with customers and partners and will facilitate our continued expansion,” says Johan Löf, CEO, RaySearch. In and around Hagastaden there is a large concentration of research and entrepreneurship in life science, a collective concept for sciences aimed at improving life and health. World-leading education and research is conducted at the Karolinska Institute, the Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm University and the Karolinska University Hospital, and half of the Stockholm region’s life science companies are located within five kilometers of the area. The ambition is for Hagastaden to become one of the world’s leading life science hubs. Vascular Adhesion Protein-1 (SSAO/VAP-1) inhibitor small molecule that has shown promising efficacy in preclinical studies for its anti-inflammatory mechanism of action and antioxidative effect on endothelial cells. It can also potentially be used for the treatment of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Under the terms of the agreement, UBE will receive an upfront payment, as well as development and sales milestones, plus tiered royalties on the annual net sales. Novo Nordisk will be responsible for the further development, manufacturing and commercialization of UD-014. “We are looking forward to working closely with UBE to transfer the project and to continue the development of UD-014, as there are currently no treatments available for non-alcoholic steatohepatitis,” says Marcus Schindler, Global Drug Discovery, Novo Nordisk. NORDICLIFESCIENCE.ORG 9 IMAGE WHITE ARCHITECTS/STOCKHOLMS STAD