Novartis taps Molecular Partners for a new way to defeat COVID-19

Novartis is spending $69 million upfront on a pair of experimental drugs from Fierce 15 winner Molecular Partners.

The deal is for MP0420 and MP0423, two antivirals out of the biotech’s so-called DARPin tech, which Molecular Partners says has “multi-specific target binding with the potential to prevent viral escape via mutations, the possibility for subcutaneous administration, long half-life for sustained activity, the potential to bypass cold storage and typically high-yield, highly scalable production in bacterial fermenters.”