Lexicon Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: LXRX) said it earned a $10 million milestone payment from Novo Nordisk A/S (NVO) after reaching a patient dosing milestone in a clinical program for LX9851, an oral small-molecule inhibitor of Acyl CoA Synthetase 5 (ACSL5).
The milestone, the first of three scheduled for 2026 under the companies’ 2025 collaboration agreement, brings Lexicon’s total payments under the deal to $75 million. The agreement grants Novo Nordisk an exclusive worldwide license to develop, manufacture and commercialize LX9851 across all indications, with Lexicon eligible for tiered royalties on future net sales.
LX9851 is being evaluated as a potential treatment for obesity and metabolic disorders. Novo Nordisk initiated a Phase 1 program in March to assess the drug’s safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics in overweight and obese adults, with completion expected in the first quarter of 2027.
Preclinical data presented at Obesity Week 2024 showed that combining LX9851 with semaglutide reduced weight, food intake and fat mass more effectively than semaglutide alone in animal studies. Lexicon’s broader pipeline includes candidates for neuropathic pain, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and other cardiometabolic indications.
