Zealand Pharma seeks partners for rare-disease assets as obesity focus grows

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)