NVO Expands Aspect Tie-Up to Advance Curative Diabetes Cell Therapies

Novo Nordisk NVO and Aspect Biosystems announced that they are advancing their partnership into a new phase focused on developing next-generation cellular medicines for diabetes.

The companies have been collaborating since 2023 to develop cellular therapies, designed to replace, repair or supplement biological functions to deliver truly disease-modifying treatments. This next stage builds on the strong progress made to date and reflects a shared commitment to accelerating the development of potentially curative therapies for serious diseases.

NVO’s Extended Agreement With Aspect in Detail

Novo Nordisk has expanded its partnership with Aspect Biosystems, marking a deeper push into next-generation cellular therapies for diabetes. Under the extended agreement, Aspect has secured rights to NVO’s stem cell-derived islet cell and hypoimmune cell engineering technologies and will take the lead on development, manufacturing, and commercialization.

Novo Nordisk will retain defined options to expand its role during later-stage development and commercialization. This structure enables NVO to be closely involved as programs mature while leveraging Aspect’s specialized capabilities in cellular medicine and biomanufacturing.

In the past six months, shares of Novo Nordisk have lost 9.2% against the industry’s 21% growth.

The agreement also includes an additional equity investment by Novo Nordisk in Aspect, along with research funding to advance these potentially curative therapies. Novo Nordisk will be eligible to receive milestone payments and royalties on future product sales, creating a long-term economic upside tied to clinical and commercial success.

A key element of the partnership is the integration of select Novo Nordisk cell therapy research, development, and manufacturing capabilities from the United States and Denmark into Aspect’s Canada-based platform. This move strengthens Aspect’s end-to-end development engine and expands access to deep scientific and manufacturing talent.

Aspect’s platform is being used to build a new class of allogeneic, off-the-shelf cellular medicines for serious metabolic and endocrine diseases. Its lead programs include an islet replacement therapy for type I diabetes designed to restore glucose control without the need for chronic immune suppression.

For Novo Nordisk, the deal expands its presence in potentially curative therapies for diabetes while creating multiple value levers through equity ownership, milestones, and royalties. For Aspect, it brings validated technologies, capital support, and global development expertise. Together, the partnership improves the odds of scaling breakthrough cell therapies into commercially viable treatments.

Novo Nordisk A/S Price and Consensus

Novo Nordisk A/S price-consensus-chart | Novo Nordisk A/S Quote

NVO’s Zacks Rank and Stocks to Consider

Novo Nordisk currently carries a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell).

Some better-ranked stocks in the biotech sector are Amicus Therapeutics FOLD, Alkermes ALKS and Krystal Biotech KRYS, each sporting a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Over the past 60 days, estimates for Amicus Therapeutics’ 2026 EPS have decreased from 67 cents to 65 cents. Shares of FOLD have surged 130.1% over the past six months.

Amicus Therapeutics’ earnings beat estimates in one of the trailing four quarters, missing the mark on the other three occasions, delivering an average negative surprise of 20.21%.

Over the past 60 days, 2026 EPS estimates for Alkermes have increased from $1.54 to $1.90. Shares of ALKS have gained 17.5% over the past six months.

Alkermes’ earnings beat estimates in three of the trailing four quarters, missing on the remaining occasion, with the average surprise being 4.58%.

Over the past 60 days, estimates for Krystal Biotech’s EPS for 2026 have risen to $8.49 from $8.34. KRYS stock has rallied 80.9% over the past six months.

Krystal Biotech’s earnings beat estimates in three of the trailing four quarters and missed in the remaining quarter, with the average surprise being 40.43%.

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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).

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