DENVER, Colo., Mar 28, 2025 (247marketnews.com)- Lexicon Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:LXRX) just inked a blockbuster deal with Novo Nordisk, handing over the keys to LX9851, a first-in-class oral non-incretin obesity drug, in an exclusive worldwide license worth up to $1 billion. Announced today, the pact nets Lexicon $75 million upfront and near-term milestone cash, with the potential for a $1 billion in development, regulatory, and sales payouts—plus tiered royalties on every sale.
Mike Exton, Ph.D., Lexicon’s CEO and director, stated, “We are thrilled that Novo Nordisk, a global leader in diabetes care and obesity management, has recognized the potential of LX9851. This arrangement decisively strengthens our financial position, providing optionality as we further invest and accelerate our R&D portfolio.”
LX9851, Lexicon’s brainchild, is a potent oral inhibitor of Acyl-CoA Synthetase 5 (ACSL5)—a fat-regulating powerhouse that tweaks energy balance and fires up the ileal brake to curb appetite and slow digestion. Preclinical data from Obesity Week 2024 lit up the charts: paired with semaglutide, LX9851 slashed weight, appetite, and fat mass beyond semaglutide’s solo punch. Post-semaglutide, it tamed weight regain and eased liver fat—a double whammy for the $100 billion obesity market.
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