Novo to Buy Experimental Heart Drug for Up to $1.3 Billion (1)

Novo Nordisk A/S agreed to buy an experimental blood-pressure medicine from KBP Biosciences for as much as $1.3 billion, extending a string of recent deals to bolster its drug pipeline.

The treatment, called ocedurenone, is currently in late-stage testing for people with uncontrolled hypertension and advanced, chronic kidney disease, the Danish drugmaker said Monday. If successful, it could help address a major need for people with both heart disease and chronic kidney disease, according Martin Holst Lange, executive vice president of development at Novo.

The deal is the latest in a series of bolt-on acquisitions for the Danish maker ...