Unnatural Products Enters into Collaboration with Novartis for Macrocyclic Peptide Therapeutics
Thursday, February 19, 2026
Unnatural Products has announced a research collaboration and licensing agreement with Novartis to advance the development of macrocyclic peptide therapeutics under an undisclosed programme.
Macrocyclic peptides represent an emerging class of therapeutics that aim to combine the precision and potency of biologics with the favourable properties of small molecules. This approach is intended to address biological targets that are difficult to reach with conventional treatments.
The partnership will combine UNP’s AI-enabled macrocycle discovery platform with Novartis’ global development and commercial capabilities. The programme will initially focus on cardiovascular disease. Novartis will oversee IND-enabling studies and will be responsible for further clinical development, manufacturing, and worldwide commercialisation of any resulting products.
UNP’s platform integrates AI-driven molecular design, high-throughput synthesis, and direct biological screening to identify potent and selective macrocycles suitable for oral and injectable administration.
Under the terms of the agreement, UNP is eligible to receive up to US$100 million in upfront and pre-IND milestone payments.
The company may also receive up to US$1.7 billion in development, regulatory, and commercial milestone payments, along with tiered royalties on annual net sales.
Source: unnaturalproducts.com
