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 ZELA.CO 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.