Photys Therapeutics, Inc., a proximity-based therapeutics company, entered a multi-year collaboration and license agreement with Novo Nordisk to develop proximity-based therapeutics for a cardiometabolic disease target. The collaboration combines Novo Nordisk’s expertise in cardiometabolic diseases with Photys’ PHICS (PHosphorylation Inducing Chimeric Small molecules) technology, which induces proximity between a kinase and a target of interest to phosphorylate the target and thereby alter its biologic function.
 
Photys is eligible to receive up to $186 million in upfront, development and commercial milestone payments, in addition to R&D funding and royalty payments on commercial sales. Under the proposed R&D plan, Novo Nordisk and Photys will collaborate on multiple PHICS molecules for the cardiometabolic target. Photys will advance the PHICS molecules through preclinical development, at which point Novo Nordisk will further advance the PHICS molecules through IND-enabling studies and clinical development.
 
“This collaboration represents a strong alignment between the desire to control a critical protein and a technology capable of doing so in a tissue-specific manner,” said Alexandra Joseph, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer of Photys. “We believe that our PHICS™ technology is an important addition to the arsenal of induced proximity modalities through its novel ability to selectively control phosphorylation of any given target.”
 
“We look forward to working with Photys on its differentiated induced proximity platform as we explore novel technologies to reach important targets with a high degree of efficacy and selectivity,” said Dr. Bei Zhang, Corporate Vice President and Therapeutic Area Head of Diabetes, Obesity, and MASH at Novo Nordisk. “Together, we hope to unlock new opportunities within cardiometabolic diseases.”