Making Biologics Orally Available With Vivtex's Thomas Von Erlach, Ph.D.
•March 2, 2026
0
Why It Matters
Vivex’s oral biologics platform could disrupt injection‑dependent markets, offering patients easier administration while unlocking multi‑billion‑dollar partnership opportunities for pharma.
Key Takeaways
- •Vivex’s GI‑on‑a‑chip enables oral delivery for biologics to patients
- •Partnership with Novo Nordisk valued up to $2.1 billion
- •Company achieved revenue‑positive status through non‑dilutive pharma collaborations
- •Founder transitioned from CSO to CEO, hiring experienced CFO
- •Stealth mode allowed thorough validation before public market launch
Summary
The interview with Thomas von Erlach, Ph.D., co‑founder and CEO of Vivex, focuses on the company’s breakthrough gastrointestinal‑on‑a‑chip platform that makes biologic drugs orally bioavailable, a stark contrast to traditional injections or IVs. Von Erlach outlines how the technology, conceived in Robert Langer’s lab, progressed from academic proof‑of‑concept to a validated pre‑clinical system capable of delivering large molecules in large‑animal studies.
Key insights include the rigorous validation phase that distinguished Vivex from typical academic spin‑outs, the strategic use of non‑dilutive revenue from ten pharma partners that rendered the company revenue‑positive, and the landmark partnership with Novo Nordisk worth up to $2.1 billion to develop oral biologics for obesity and diabetes. Von Erlach also highlighted his transition from chief scientific officer to CEO, emphasizing the hire of an experienced CFO to manage operations and finance.
Notable examples illustrate how long‑standing scientific relationships—particularly Langer’s and GI‑expert Chirani Travers’ ties to Novo—built mutual trust, culminating in the massive deal after years of data sharing and conference presentations. Von Erlach also described the deliberate stealth‑mode approach, allowing the team to refine the platform and product candidates before raising their public profile.
The implications are significant: an oral biologics platform could reshape drug delivery economics, improve patient adherence, and open new market segments for large‑molecule therapeutics. For investors and pharma partners, Vivex’s model demonstrates a viable path from academic innovation to commercial partnership, potentially accelerating the adoption of oral biologics across chronic disease treatments.
Original Description
On this week's episode of the Business of Biotech, we're speaking with Thomas von Erlach, Ph.D., Cofounder and CEO at Vivtex, a company spun out of the Langer Lab at MIT that's focused on developing orally available biologics. The company announced a deal in late February '26 with Novo Nordisk for up to $2.1 billion to develop next-gen oral drugs for obesity and diabetes, bringing the total number of Vivtex's partnerships to 10. Thomas shares his experiences working in the lab with Dr. Robert Langer, Ph.D., starting up Vivtex around his co-invention (a "GI tract on a chip"), building trust externally and securing the right partnerships, and using a strategic stealth period to refine Vivtex's platform technology before scaling it out.
Access this and hundreds of episodes of the Business of Biotech videocast at lifescienceleader.com
#businessofbiotech #biopharma #biotech
Subscribe to the podcast:
0
Comments
Want to join the conversation?
Loading comments...