By Jesus Calero and Vera Dvorakova
Nov 12 (Reuters) – Danish biotech Zealand Pharma has resumed talks with potential partners for rare-disease drug glepaglutide as it focuses investment on its obesity pipeline, the company’s finance chief told Reuters on Thursday.
The renewed efforts follow a positive European regulatory recommendation in September, offering a potential route to market after US regulators rejected the drug in December 2024 and requested another clinical trial.
“We have re-engaged with parties around a partnership for the product,” CFO Henriette Wennicke said. She added that Zealand was primarily seeking a global partner but remained open to other arrangements.
Glepaglutide treats short bowel syndrome, a rare condition that prevents patients from absorbing enough nutrients and fluids, often leaving them dependent on intravenous nutrition.
Zealand expects a final EU decision on the drug, to be marketed as Zeydovio, in the fourth quarter, while an additional Phase 3 trial is underway to support a new US application.
Wennicke declined to give a timetable for reaching an agreement, saying Zealand could continue developing the medicine while seeking a suitable partner.
Zealand is also in partnership discussions for dasiglucagon, a treatment for a rare disorder causing dangerously low blood sugar, a company spokesperson confirmed. A US regulatory resubmission is expected this quarter, Wennicke said.
The search for partners comes as Zealand concentrates investment on obesity and metabolic health, including development of weight-loss drug petrelintide with Swiss pharmaceutical group Roche and survodutide, developed with Boehringer Ingelheim.
(Reporting by Jesus Calero and Vera Dvorakova in Gdansk; Editing by Matt Scuffham)
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