Novo Nordisk has struck a strategic collaboration with Vivtex to develop oral formulations of peptide and protein therapeutics for obesity, diabetes and related metabolic disorders. The agreement includes upfronts, research funding and up to $2.1 billion in milestone and milestone‑dependent payments, plus tiered royalties. Vivtex will license gastrointestinal screening and formulation technologies and Novo will lead development, regulatory filings and commercialization. Vivtex’s platform combines high‑throughput GI screening, simulation and AI to identify formulations that traverse the gastrointestinal barrier. The company — cofounded by MIT scientists including Robert Langer and Giovanni Traverso — brings a gut‑targeted screening approach; Novo contributes therapeutic and global development scale. The tie-up follows Novo’s broader push to extend oral peptide leadership after earlier oral GLP‑1 approvals. For industry, the deal signals big‑pharma willingness to pay premium milestones for credible oral‑delivery platforms. If successful, the collaboration could accelerate oral versions of high‑value biologics and intensify competition in cardiometabolic therapeutics.