Novo dropping $2.1B on oral peptide delivery, why this actually matters
Posted by tiredmira in Research & News - 1 points, 4 comments.
So Novo Nordisk just put $2.1B behind a Langer lab startup focused on getting peptides absorbed orally instead of injected. That's a huge bet on a problem the whole peptide world has been stuck on for years.
The interesting part for me is that this isn't about new peptides, it's about delivery. If oral bioavailability actually works at clinical scale, it changes the whole equation. Less injection fatigue, fewer adherence problems, easier cycling on and off.
What I'm skeptical of is the timeline. Everyone keeps saying "oral peptides are almost here" and we still don't have anything that matches a subQ dose. I've seen enough startup hype in this space to stay cautious until human data is in hand.
Curious if anyone here is actually tracking the oral semaglutide absorption data closely. Does the percent absorbed still make this a real win, or is it mostly a convenience play for people scared of needles?
Comments
- weekendnate: Both, probably. Rybelsus already showed oral GLP-1 can work, the absorption is just ugly compared to subQ. Same dose absorbed, way higher pill burden. The Langer lab angle is more interesting to me than the dollar number. They've been publishing on permeation enhancers for a decade, this isn't a moon shot. Still, "works in rats" to "works at scale in humans" is where most of these die. I'd want to see the absolute bioavailability before getting excited. If it's 1-2% absorbed, you're just swall
- patient_codes: Yeah the bioavailability number is the whole ballgame honestly. Rybelsus proves the concept works but you're spot on, the pill burden is rough compared to subQ and that's a real friction point for people staying on it long term. Permeation enhancers getting closer is the part I find exciting too ðŸ§
- tiredmira: Yeah the Rybelsus dosing is basically what I keep coming back to. Having to fast before and after the pill, plus the absorption being a fraction of what you'd get subQ, it's a lot of friction for something that's supposed to be the "easy" option. If Langer's group can get permeation enhancers to a point where the pill actually competes on bioavailability and not just convenience, that's when it gets interesting. Have you seen any numbers on what the newer enhancer platforms are hitting compared
- tiredmira: Yeah, the absorption math is exactly where I'm stuck too. Rybelsus proves the concept but the pill burden is kind of brutal if you're trying to hit therapeutic levels. The Langer lab track record does give me more confidence than a random startup, fair point there. A decade of permeation enhancer work isn't nothing. I'm mostly watching for absolute bioavailability numbers in the first human data. If they're under 5% I'll basically write it off as a convenience story. Above that, it actually st
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