Novo Nordisk’s new partnership with Bob Langer-founded Vivtex aims to turn injectable obesity drugs into pills.
How people deal with obesity care may not arrive with a syringe. It may come in a pill you take with your morning coffee. Quietly, routinely and for years. That is the promise behind a new partnership between diabetes care pioneer Novo Nordisk and Boston-based biotech Vivtex, a deal valued at up to $2.1 billion that aims to transform injectable obesity and diabetes medicines into oral therapies.
The partnership is a classic big-pharma-meets-startup story. But if we look closer, it signals that the obesity drug race is moving beyond efficacy alone – toward convenience, access and long-term living.
For Novo Nordisk, the undisputed leader in diabetes and obesity therapeutics, the partnership also means shaping the next phase of obesity care. Under the agreement, Vivtex will license select oral drug-delivery technologies, while Novo Nordisk will take charge of global development, manufacturing and commercialization. Vivtex is expected to receive upfront payments, research funding, milestone payments totaling up to $2.1 billion, and tiered royalties on future sales.
However, the real value lies in what oral delivery represents. Injectable drugs work, but they ask patients to reorganize their lives around treatment. Pills, by contrast, blend into daily routines. That difference may sound small, but at the population scale, it’s transformative.
“Delivery remains one of the defining challenges for the next generation of obesity therapies, as many of the most promising treatments are complex peptide medicines that are difficult to administer conveniently and absorb reliably,” Dr Thomas von Erlach, CEO and cofounder of Vivtex told us. “While the science behind these drugs has advanced rapidly, their real-world impact depends on whether they can be delivered in a way that supports consistent exposure, patient comfort, and long-term adherence. Vivtex’s platform is specifically designed to enable oral delivery of peptide and protein therapeutics while maintaining strong bioavailability, helping translate breakthrough metabolic science into practical medicines that can reach far more patients.”
Brian Vandahl, senior vice president for Therapeutics Discovery at Novo Nordisk, said that the company remains dedicated to “pushing the boundaries of science through both internal and external innovation.” He highlighted that their core objective is to provide treatment for millions of individuals living with obesity, diabetes and their related health complications.
Why pills are harder than they sound
Turning powerful biologic drugs into pills is not as simple as putting them in a capsule. These medicines are fragile. Effective when intact, useless once melted. The stomach, with its acids and enzymes, is an unforgiving environment.
Vivtex was founded to tackle exactly this problem. Its platform tests and refines formulations to enable these complex molecules to survive the gastrointestinal tract and be absorbed reliably. In everyday terms, it’s about finding the right protective packaging and delivery route so the medicine reaches the bloodstream without falling apart along the way.
The Bob Langer effect
For investors and industry watchers, another name attached to the deal stands out: Dr Robert S Langer, one of the most influential figures in modern drug delivery and a cofounder of Vivtex.
Langer’s career has been defined by rethinking how medicines enter the body, not just what they do once they get there. His involvement adds credibility to Vivtex’s ambition and underscores why Novo Nordisk sees this as more than a tactical experiment.
“Advancements that make biologic medicines easier to take, while preserving their effectiveness, have the potential to significantly change patient care,” Langer said. The statement is understated, but the implication is bold: easier delivery can reshape entire treatment pathways.
From obesity drugs to longevity tools
Obesity and diabetes are often discussed as standalone conditions. In reality, they sit at the center of aging biology. They accelerate cardiovascular disease, limit mobility, worsen inflammation and shorten healthspan long before they shorten lifespan.
Longevity.Technology: That’s where this deal loops back to longevity. Oral therapies could lower barriers to early and sustained treatment, helping people manage metabolic health long before complications set in. For aging societies, that shift matters more than incremental improvements in weight loss numbers. Pills, not injections, align better with the vision of making long-term care sustainable
The science will take time, and success is not guaranteed. Many attempts to make oral biologics have failed. Still, the scale of this partnership suggests that the next competitive edge in obesity care may lie in usability.
