Innoviva has outlined plans for the drug-delivery assets it acquired following the collapse of Lyndra Therapeutics, announcing the creation of Nortiva Bio to advance long-acting oral medicines and establish development partnerships.
Lyndra started shutting down operations in March 2025 after failing to obtain funding for a phase 3 study. Several months later, Innoviva, a biopharmaceutical company known for building a business around royalty assets, acquired Lyndra’s Lynx long-acting drug-delivery platform for over $10 million. The agreement also included potential milestone payments of up to $20 million and royalties tied to sales of the first approved product using the technology.
On Thursday, Innoviva said it had formed Nortiva as a fully owned subsidiary dedicated to developing long-acting therapies based on the Lynx platform. The company also appointed MIT professor Robert Langer, whose laboratory originally developed the technology, and former FDA Commissioner Janet Woodcock to Nortiva’s advisory board.
Before its closure, Lyndra had been working toward a phase 3 safety study of a once-weekly oral version of the antipsychotic risperidone. Nortiva, however, has chosen a once-monthly oral contraceptive as its lead development program.
The Gates Foundation awarded a $5 million grant late last year to support work on the contraceptive candidate. Nortiva said the program is intended to address adherence challenges faced by women and girls, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, while also meeting needs in the U.S. market. The company cited research indicating that roughly half of women miss at least one contraceptive dose each month.
In addition to internal programs, Nortiva plans to collaborate with other drug developers interested in converting approved or investigational small-molecule medicines into long-acting oral formulations. The company believes less frequent dosing could improve patient convenience and help products stand out in crowded therapeutic markets.
Nortiva has also assembled an advisory board with extensive industry experience, including executives with backgrounds in business development, partnering and drug commercialization.
The establishment of Nortiva provides a fresh opportunity for the Lynx oral drug-delivery platform, which had previously generated considerable industry interest. Lyndra attracted $55 million in financing in 2019 from investors that included Gilead Sciences and later secured an additional $101 million in 2023 from backers that included Sun Pharma.
The funding enabled the company to achieve a phase 3 success in 2024 with its long-acting risperidone formulation. However, Lyndra ultimately failed to obtain the capital required to conduct the safety study needed before submitting the therapy for regulatory approval, a setback that contributed to the company’s eventual collapse.
This Lynx drug administration framework comprises a regular-size pill containing a novel mechanism that expands once it enters the abdomen, wherein it stays throughout the span of the drug release timeframe. Lynx provides a consistent amount of drug within that interval, diminishing the maximums and minimums of chemical density frequently observed with everyday ingested treatments. Such uniform substance delivery holds the capability to lessen adverse effects generated via elevated drug peaks and boost performance by stopping drug amounts from falling too low between treatments
Innoviva Introduces Nortiva Bio
Innoviva has officially launched Nortiva Bio, a new venture dedicated to advancing the discovery and development of innovative oral medicines. The strategic move reflects Innoviva’s commitment to expanding its pharmaceutical capabilities while addressing unmet medical needs through advanced therapeutic solutions.
By establishing Nortiva Bio, Innoviva aims to accelerate the development of oral drug candidates that can provide patients with convenient and effective treatment options across a range of diseases.
Innoviva Strengthens Oral Medicines Pipeline
The launch of Nortiva Bio represents an important step in Innoviva’s long-term growth strategy. Through this new organization, Innoviva plans to strengthen its research and development pipeline by focusing on high-potential oral therapies that offer improved patient accessibility and treatment adherence
