Eleven Therapeutics, a biotechnology company developing next-gen RNA therapeutics combining chemistry and artificial intelligence, entered a research collaboration with Novo Nordisk to identify novel molecules that promote precise delivery of nucleic acid leveraging Eleven’s DELiveri platform, to usher in a new era of medicines for cardiometabolic diseases.

Nucleic acid therapeutics have immense potential for cardiometabolic diseases. However, the major challenge to successful development as safe and effective agents is the lack of organ-specific delivery agents. The DELiveri platform uses DNA-encoded libraries (DELs) to discover conjugates that effectively deliver therapeutic molecules for a multitude of potential therapeutic areas. This collaboration provides Novo Nordisk with exclusivity for specific cell types and applications associated with Eleven’s innovative DELiveri platform in a staged approach.

Uli Stilz, head of Novo Nordisk’s Bio Innovation Hub in Boston, said, “Our research collaboration with Eleven Therapeutics builds on Novo Nordisk’s commitment to advancing precision medicine and opens up the opportunity to learn from one another as we explore novel cell-specific targeting strategies. With the combination of our joint team’s expertise and using Eleven’s DELiveri platform, we can potentially unlock transformative treatments for people living with cardiometabolic diseases.”

“We are delighted to collaborate with Novo Nordisk, a leader in global healthcare,” said Yaniv Erlich, CEO of Eleven Therapeutics. “Firstly, this collaboration has the potential for immense positive impact on patients’ lives through the multitude of therapeutic cargos each of the discovered carriers could afford. Furthermore, it is a testament to the promise of our DELiveri platform, which is uniquely tailored to discover cell-selective delivery moieties — small molecules and other types — at an efficiency level yet to be observed in this field, thanks to the throughput capabilities of DELs.”