Novonesis and Novo Nordisk Collaborate to Improve Metabolic Health

By Dominic Chopping

Danish biotech company Novonesis said it entered a research partnership with Novo Nordisk that will explore new solutions to improve metabolic health and potentially help prevent conditions such as obesity, diabetes and high blood pressure.

The partnership will investigate how the microorganisms that naturally live in the gut, such as bacteria, fungi, and viruses, maintain metabolic health and how they could be used to monitor and predict health in individuals. It will also aim to explore solutions that preserve and optimize metabolic health.

"We are becoming increasingly aware of the role the gut plays in maintaining metabolic health and thereby minimizing the risk of developing obesity," Nadeem Sarwar, head of Novo Nordisk's transformational prevention unit said Monday.

The company's will develop food supplements that combine the live bacteria that are beneficial to the gut, known as probiotics, with the fuel that help these bacteria grow, known as prebiotics. These supplements will be tested for their ability to affect things like blood glucose and cholesterol levels.

"This new collaboration with Novo Nordisk enables us to deepen our understanding of the gut microbiome's role in maintaining metabolic health and to identify innovative products that support it," Henrik Joerck Nielsen, head of human health biosolutions & strategy at Novonesis, said.

Write to Dominic Chopping at dominic.chopping@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

September 08, 2025 08:04 ET (12:04 GMT)