Novo Nordisk and Aspect Biosystems expand their partnership to develop stem cell–derived, potentially curative cell therapies for diabetes, including islet replacement approaches.
Written By: Pharmacally Medical News Desk
Novo Nordisk and Aspect Biosystems have announced a significant expansion of their collaboration, marking a new phase in their joint effort to develop next-generation cellular medicines for diabetes. The move builds on a partnership launched in 2023 and signals a deeper commitment from both companies to accelerate potentially curative therapies for people living with the disease.
A Shift Toward Disease-Modifying Therapies
The expanded partnership reflects a shared focus on moving beyond symptom management toward therapies that can replace, repair, or supplement damaged biological functions. By advancing cellular medicines designed to restore insulin-producing capacity, the collaboration aims to address the underlying causes of diabetes rather than its downstream effects.
As part of the new agreement, Aspect has acquired rights to key stem cell-derived islet cell and hypoimmune cell engineering technologies developed by Novo Nordisk. Aspect will now take the lead on development, manufacturing, and commercialization of these programs, while Novo Nordisk retains defined options to expand its role during later-stage development and commercialization.
Investment, Royalties, and Long-Term Alignment
Novo Nordisk will make an additional equity investment in Aspect and provide research funding to support advancement of these therapies. In return, Novo Nordisk will be eligible for milestone payments and royalties on future product sales, aligning both companies around long-term clinical and commercial success.
Jacob Sten Petersen, Senior Vice President of Global Research at Novo Nordisk, emphasized the company’s century-long commitment to diabetes innovation, noting that the partnership brings together Novo Nordisk’s deep disease expertise with Aspect’s specialized capabilities in cellular medicines. The shared ambition is to progress transformative cell therapies toward clinical development, with the goal of achieving a functional cure for type 1 diabetes.
Integrating Global Expertise into a Unified Platform
The agreement also involves integrating select Novo Nordisk cell therapy research, development, and manufacturing capabilities from the United States and Denmark into Aspect’s Canada-anchored platform. This integration is expected to strengthen Aspect’s end-to-end capabilities and broaden access to specialized talent across regions.
Tamer Mohamed, Founder and CEO of Aspect Biosystems, described the partnership as a force multiplier, combining Novo Nordisk’s global leadership in diabetes with Aspect’s speed, agility, and technical depth in cell therapy. He highlighted that this integration accelerates Aspect’s path toward curative cell therapies and supports its long-term vision of building a globally impactful biotechnology company.
Focus on Islet Replacement and Scalable Cell Therapies
Aspect’s platform is being applied to develop a new class of cellular medicines for serious metabolic and endocrine diseases. A central program is an islet replacement therapy for type 1 diabetes designed to restore blood glucose control without the need for chronic immune suppression. These therapies are intended to be allogeneic, enabling scalable, off-the-shelf manufacturing rather than patient-specific production.
By combining advanced bioprinting, hypoimmune cell engineering, and stem cell technologies, the partnership aims to overcome longstanding barriers in cell therapy, including immune rejection and manufacturing scale.
Looking Ahead
The expanded collaboration between Novo Nordisk and Aspect Biosystems represents a strategic step toward translating cutting-edge cell therapy science into real-world clinical solutions. If successful, these programs could redefine the treatment landscape for type 1 diabetes and move the field closer to durable, disease-modifying, and potentially curative therapies.
Reference
Aspect Biosystems and Novo Nordisk enter new phase of partnership to develop curative medicines for diabetes, 20 January 2026, News Details
Aspect Biosystems and Novo Nordisk enter new phase of partnership to develop curative medicines for diabetes, 20 January 2026, https://www.aspectbiosystems.com/news-resources/aspect-biosystems-novo-nordisk-enter-new-phase-of-partnership-to-develop-curative-medicines-for-diabetes